Magnitude 7 quake in Nagqu kills 16, collapses 339 homes
Rescue crews cleared debris and delivered shelter supplies as snow began to fall on the northern Tibetan region.
By Kaito Shevchenko ·
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck northern Tibet on Thursday evening, killing at least 16 people and injuring 46, official media reported. The U.S. Geological Survey placed the epicenter 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 18 kilometers.
Local authorities said 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed in the Nagqu area. Among the 46 injured, 11 were in serious condition while 35 sustained minor injuries. Search and rescue operations continued as of Friday.
More than 1,600 personnel from the local county joined the relief effort. Officials reported that 1,000 prefabricated housing units, roughly 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing reached the zone.
Xinhua reported that communication lines went down in parts of the region. Railway authorities halted train traffic through the affected area as a precaution. Rockfalls forced the closure of a section of National Highway 317, limiting access to emergency and support vehicles.
Intermittent snow is forecast for the next three days, adding to the difficulty of clearing debris. China’s national broadcaster CCTV identified the event as the largest earthquake in the region in five years. Nagqu is located more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa.
Source: CBC News
