16 Killed, 32 Injured as 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Tibet

At least 16 people were killed and 32 others injured after a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote region of Tibet, China, according to state news agency Xinhua, citing local authorities.

The earthquake struck at 10:33 pm on Thursday (1433 GMT), causing extensive damage to residential areas. More than 300 houses collapsed in the tremor, while authorities continued to assess the scale of destruction and carry out disaster relief operations.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre was located in a mountainous area approximately 190 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu and around 390 kilometres northeast of Lhasa, the regional capital.

The latest disaster comes weeks after devastating flash floods in August claimed more than 1,400 lives in the Nepal-Tibet border region. The floods originated near the border and swept away homes and buildings across northern and central Nepal, leaving widespread destruction.

Meanwhile, another earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale struck China at 8:29 pm IST, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The tremor occurred at a depth of 15 kilometres, approximately 505 kilometres north-northwest of Pangin in Arunachal Pradesh.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation as assessment and relief efforts remain underway in the affected region.