Tibet struck by powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake in northern county

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake shook a high-altitude area of northern Tibet on the night of Oct 22, leaving at least two individuals hurt and causing structural damage to nearby homes, Chinese authorities reported.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Centre, the seismic event occurred at approximately 10:33 p.m. at a focal depth of 10 kilometres. The epicentre was located within a sparsely inhabited county in the Nagqu region, situated roughly 400 kilometres from the regional capital of Lhasa. Data from the monitoring agency indicated an average elevation of about 4,864 metres within a five-kilometre radius of the epicentre.

State television reported that two injured people were identified in a village situated near the centre of the tremor. In communities situated closest to the site, several residential dwellings sustained visible cracks.

Footage broadcast by official state media depicted residents rushing out of their residences to take cover outdoors or wait inside vehicles parked along streets. One local resident recounted being jolted awake by the violent shaking as the building creaked during the event.

Emergency responders, including local fire and rescue teams, were dispatched immediately to the stricken area to inspect damage and provide assistance. The initial powerful shock was followed by a series of aftershocks, with secondary tremors measuring between magnitude 3 and 4 detected across adjacent zones.

The incident marks the strongest seismic activity recorded in China since January 2024. The wider plateau region has a history of severe earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.1 tremor in 2010 in Yushu, located in neighbouring Qinghai province, which claimed at least 2,698 lives and left nearly 300 individuals unaccounted for.