NAGQU, Tibet, China | October 23, 2026 | At least 16 people were killed and 46 others injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet region late Thursday, collapsing hundreds of homes and prompting a major search-and-rescue operation in the high-altitude area, according to reports citing local authorities.
The earthquake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time on October 22, with its epicenter about 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated area of northern Tibet. The U.S. Geological Survey placed the earthquake’s depth at 18 kilometers. Chinese authorities reported that at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds had collapsed, while 11 of the injured were in serious condition.
More than 1,600 rescue personnel were deployed to assist affected communities. Authorities also dispatched emergency supplies, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights and warm clothing, as residents faced displacement in the cold plateau region.
The earthquake disrupted transportation and communications. Local rail services were suspended, while sections of National Highway 317 were closed after rockfalls, with access restricted to emergency and rescue vehicles in affected areas. Intermittent snowfall forecast over the following days could further complicate rescue and recovery operations.
Tibet lies on the Tibetan Plateau, where the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates has produced the Himalayas and contributes to frequent seismic activity. The region’s high elevation, cold conditions and remote settlements can make emergency response and the delivery of supplies particularly difficult after major earthquakes.
The disaster comes less than two years after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Dingri County in Tibet on January 7, 2025, killing 126 people and injuring 188, according to China’s State Council. That earthquake prompted large-scale rescue operations and renewed calls for stronger monitoring, safer buildings and adequate winter shelter for affected residents.
Search-and-rescue efforts continued Friday as authorities assessed damage and provided assistance to people whose homes had been destroyed. The reported casualty figures and extent of damage may change as rescue teams reach more affected areas.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
