The ground under Baqen County had been still all day. Markets closed, families ate dinner, and the thin mountain air of the Tibetan plateau settled into an early night. Then, at 10:33 pm on Thursday, it tore apart.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the remote northern reaches of Tibet, near Nagqu City, and within seconds the night turned into chaos. Surveillance cameras captured crowds sprinting out of buildings as walls cracked and shelves emptied onto floors. By Friday morning, the toll was clear and grim: at least 16 people dead and 76 injured, one of the most destructive tremors to hit northern Tibet in recent years.
What happened in Nagqu
The epicenter was located in Baqen County, a sparsely populated, high-altitude belt of northern Tibet, about 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu city, according to the US Geological Survey. It was a shallow tremor, the kind that transfers its full force to whatever stands above it, and hundreds of homes never stood a chance. Local officials say at least 339 houses collapsed or suffered severe damage.
What came after was almost as frightening as the main shock. The China Earthquake Networks Centre recorded hundreds of aftershocks as of Friday, rattling already weakened buildings and keeping rescue teams and residents on edge through the night. People who fled their homes took shelter outdoors and in parked vehicles rather than risk going back inside.
A race against the cold at 4,800 metres
Nagqu sits around 4,800 metres above sea level, and by late October the nights there bite hard. That turned the rescue effort into a race against the cold as much as against time. More than 12,000 residents were evacuated to safer ground on the first night, and the operation has only grown since.
- Rescuers on the ground: Over 300 police personnel were deployed to the epicentre, alongside 347 firefighters and rescue specialists, plus more than 1,600 local county workers, state media reported.
- Relief supplies: Authorities moved in 1,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights and winter clothing for the displaced.
- Funds released: China has allocated 50 million yuan in emergency disaster relief and earmarked another 30 million yuan for recovery, Xinhua reported.
- Infrastructure: The Qinghai-Xizang Railway resumed operations at reduced speed on Friday morning, and electricity was being restored to affected households in Baqen County.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged all-out efforts for rescue and medical relief work, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Why this plateau keeps shaking
The Tibetan plateau sits at the collision point of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, and it has never been quiet. Residents here still remember January 2025, when a magnitude 6.8 earthquake near Dingri killed more than 120 people and injured hundreds. Smaller tremors have rattled the wider region in recent months.
Seismologists have been warning that the plateau is becoming more vulnerable, not less. Retreating glaciers, shifting ground moisture and increasingly extreme weather events are all adding stress to a landscape that already sits on one of the most active fault systems on earth. Thursday’s quake, the strongest to hit China since early 2024 by some measures, is only the latest reminder.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly did the Tibet earthquake strike?
Near Baqen County in Nagqu City, northern Tibet, with the epicenter roughly 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu city, a high-altitude region nearly 4,800 metres above sea level.
How strong was the earthquake?
It measured magnitude 7.0 and struck at 10:33 pm local time on Thursday, October 22. Monitoring agencies described it as a shallow quake, which is why the damage was so severe.
What is the current death toll?
At least 16 people were killed and 76 injured, according to the latest official figures reported on Friday. The number of injured includes people in serious condition being treated in regional hospitals.
Are rescue operations still underway?
Yes. More than 12,000 residents have been evacuated, and rescue, relief and resettlement work continues. Authorities are still assessing damage to buildings and infrastructure across the affected county.
Could there be more aftershocks?
Likely. Officials have already logged hundreds of aftershocks, and residents have been advised to stay clear of damaged structures until full safety inspections are complete.
For the people of Nagqu, tonight will be spent in tents under a starlit but freezing sky. The ground may still be moving, but the rescue lines are holding. We will keep updating this story as fresh details come in.
