Illustrative image: prayer flags in a high Himalayan landscape. Photo: Daniele Salutari / Unsplash (Unsplash License). It does not show the earthquake zone.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck northern Tibet at about 22:33 local time on Thursday, October 22, killing at least 16 people and injuring 76, Chinese authorities said. More than 12,000 residents have been evacuated from the area around the epicentre, where survivors now face sub-zero nights at more than 4,800 metres above sea level.
Where it hit
The quake was centred in Baqen County, in Nagqu (also spelled Nakchu) City, in the Tibet Autonomous Region, according to state news agency Xinhua as reported by India’s PTI. The US Geological Survey placed the epicentre 183 km east-northeast of Nagqu city, ANI reported. Agencies gave differing estimates of the quake’s depth.
Damage and casualties
According to Chinese authorities, 12,489 residents had been evacuated by 10:00 on Friday. Around 339 houses and 20 livestock sheds were damaged or destroyed, and the full extent of the damage was still being assessed. As of 18:00 on Friday, no one had been reported missing after three rounds of door-to-door checks, the Nagqu municipal government said at a press conference cited by ANI.
Train services on the affected section of the Qinghai–Xizang (Qinghai–Tibet) railway were suspended and resumed at reduced speed on Friday morning, while power was restored to 1,937 households in Baqen County, PTI reported, citing the railway operator and the regional grid company.
Rescue and relief
More than 5,000 rescue, medical and relief workers were deployed. President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search and rescue effort, prompt treatment of the injured and measures to prevent secondary disasters such as landslides, rockfalls and building collapses. Premier Li Qiang also called for effective disaster response.
Beijing allocated 50 million yuan (about USD 7.5 million) in emergency relief and earmarked another 30 million yuan for recovery. Supplies sent to the area include 1,000 prefabricated houses, 3,239 tents, 2,821 folding beds and 4,280 quilts, according to PTI.
A harsh environment
Relief work is complicated by high altitude, thin air and rugged terrain. Temperatures were forecast to drop to minus 9°C over the following three days, with intermittent snow expected on Saturday in three townships near the epicentre.
Independent information from the region is limited. Penpa Tsering, president of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile based in India, said information from the area was difficult to obtain, ANI reported. Casualty and damage figures come from Chinese official sources and could change.
Confirmed: magnitude 7.0; at least 16 dead and 76 injured; 12,489 evacuated. Pending: final damage assessment and aftershock activity.
Sources
- PTI via ThePrint — 16 killed, 76 injured as magnitude 7 quake hits Tibet; over 12,000 evacuated (Oct 23, 2026)
- ANI via The Tribune — Tibet earthquake: 76 injured, 16 killed after 7.0-magnitude quake hits Nakchu (Oct 24, 2026)
- EFE via Infobae — International stories of the day, October 24 (in Spanish)
Kcenia Sarapova · Europe, Asia & Middle East · Virtual editorial byline
Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · October 24, 2026 · AI-assisted writing
