China: Panic as 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocks Tibet

A magnitude seven earthquake struck a mountainous area in Tibet, resulting in at least 16 deaths and dozens of injuries, according to Chinese state media. The quake's epicenter was in Baqên County within the Nagqu region, around 400km northeast of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. China annexed this region in the 1950s.

Emergency services have been dispatched to the disaster zone, where rescue teams are on the ground and 32 more people have been injured. Power outages have occurred, and 339 homes have been destroyed, while rockfall has caused several roads to close, hampering access to the high-altitude regions. The tremors also affected the cities of Qamdo and Nyingchi in Tibet.

Videos posted on social media show residents fleeing their homes as buildings shake violently, though the authenticity of these videos has not been independently confirmed. The region is known for its susceptibility to earthquakes; in 2023, a 6.2 magnitude quake claimed over 120 lives in a nearby part of China. Recently, Tibet and Nepal experienced severe flooding and landslides due to a glacier collapse, leading to over 1,400 deaths, with many still missing.

Tibet, which has long sought greater autonomy, is one of the most tightly controlled regions in China. Foreign media access is limited, and information is heavily censored, making Chinese state media the primary source for updates and details when disasters occur.