16 dead after 7.0 quake collapses 339 homes in Nagqu

China's Tibet region experienced its strongest seismic event in five years on Thursday evening. A magnitude 7 earthquake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time, centered 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 18 kilometers.

At least 16 people died and 46 were injured in the tremor, according to official media reports. Eleven of the injured are in serious condition, while the other 35 sustained minor wounds. The Nagqu media office confirmed that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed in the city.

Local authorities mobilized more than 1,600 workers from the county to conduct search and rescue operations. Relief shipments have arrived at the site, consisting of 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing.

Infrastructure in the area has faced immediate disruptions. Xinhua reported that communication lines were down in parts of the region, and railway authorities halted train traffic through the affected zone. Officials closed a section of National Highway 317 after the quake triggered rockfalls, restricting passage to emergency and support vehicles while crews clear debris.

Weather conditions present additional challenges for the ongoing recovery. Interim snow is forecast to fall across the quake zone over the next three days. Nagqu is located more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan capital region.