Erdbeben: 16 Tote bei Erdbeben in Tibet – Rettungseinsatz läuft

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck Tibet on Friday night, resulting in at least 16 deaths and 54 injuries according to Chinese state media. The epicenter was located in Baqing, a remote area of the country's autonomous region of Tibet, around 180 kilometers from the nearest larger city, Nagqu, and about 400 kilometers from the capital, Lhasa. The region is known for its sparse population, with an average elevation of approximately 4,800 meters above sea level.

Following the initial quake, several aftershocks were reported in the area. Video footage from surveillance cameras captured wobbly shelves in supermarkets and shaking ceiling lights in homes. State television reported that over 330 damaged homes and 20 collapsed stables had been identified, while Chinese President Xi Jinping urged emergency officials to "pursue rescue and relief efforts with all means possible, provide medical care to the injured, and strive to minimize the number of fatalities and injuries."

The earthquake was the strongest to hit China this year, and meteorologists predicted snowfall in some parts of the disaster zone. Tibet has been repeatedly affected by severe natural disasters, including a flash flood in southwest Tibet that buried a border post and flowed downstream into Nepal in late August, claiming around 1,450 lives, with over 5,500 others still missing.

The region has frequently experienced earthquakes due to the collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. In January 2025, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Tingri district in Tibet, near Mount Everest, leaving at least 126 dead.