A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake struck China’s Tibet region, killing at least 16 people, injuring 54 others and causing hundreds of homes to collapse in and around the northern city of Nagqu, state media reported.
The earthquake struck on Thursday at 22:33 local time, with its epicenter 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of northern Tibet.
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It was the strongest earthquake to hit the region in five years. Around 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts in rescue operations and medical assistance.
So far, more than 1,600 personnel have been deployed to the area for search and rescue operations, while emergency supplies sent to the area include 1,000 prefabricated housing units, 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights and winter clothing.
The USGS recorded at least seven aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.2, all at a depth of 10 kilometers. The main earthquake struck at a depth of 18 kilometers. Rockslides triggered by the earthquake forced authorities to close a section of National Highway 317 to all vehicles except emergency, rescue and official vehicles as crews worked to clear debris.
Local railway authorities suspended train services through the affected area as a precaution. China’s state news agency, Xinhua, reported that communications had been disrupted in some earthquake-hit areas.
