Snowfall threatens rescue efforts after magnitude 7 quake hits northern Tibet

Residents in the northern Tibetan city of Nagqu face a difficult recovery as intermittent snowfall begins to cover the area following a major seismic event. The weather adds a layer of complexity to ongoing search and rescue operations in a region where temperatures drop sharply at night.

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the epicenter 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 18 kilometers. Officials reported that at least 16 people were killed and 46 others injured in the tremor.

The Nagqu media office stated that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed due to the shaking. Among the 46 injured, 11 are in serious condition while the remaining 35 suffered minor injuries. More than 1,600 local staff have been deployed to the site to continue rescue work.

Relief supplies have reached the affected zone, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing. Xinhua reported that communication links remain down in parts of the region, and local railway authorities stopped trains from passing through the area as a precaution.

Rockfalls forced officials to close a section of National Highway 317. Only emergency and support vehicles are currently permitted to use the route while crews clear debris. Xinhua said snow is expected to fall intermittently across the quake zone for the next three days.

China’s national broadcaster CCTV identified this as the largest earthquake in the region in the past five years. Nagqu is located more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet region.