New Delhi: A powerful earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck the northern region of Tibet late Thursday night, resulting in the deaths of at least 16 people and leaving 46 others injured. The severe tremors triggered widespread panic as the region experienced consecutive aftershocks over several hours, marking the most significant seismic event in the area in the last five years.
According to India’s National Center for Seismology (NCS), the initial quake hit at approximately 8:03 PM (IST). The epicenter was located in Nagqu City in northern Tibet, roughly 400 kilometres from the capital, Lhasa, at a depth of 173 kilometres. The initial massive tremor was followed by a relentless series of 13 aftershocks spanning over four hours, keeping residents on edge well past midnight. Tremors were reportedly felt as far away as parts of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
In response to the disaster, regional authorities in Xizang (Tibet) immediately activated a Level-3 emergency response. According to a report by the Xinhua news agency, a massive search and rescue operation has been launched to locate individuals trapped beneath the rubble. Over 300 police officers and 347 specialized rescue personnel have been deployed to the hardest-hit zones. Relief materials are actively being dispatched to the affected Baqen County.
The structural destruction has been severe, with media reports indicating that at least 339 residential buildings have completely collapsed. Local administration officials are currently focusing on shifting displaced residents to temporary shelters while medical teams attend to the injured.
From a geological perspective, the Tibetan Plateau is known to be an extremely sensitive and earthquake-prone zone. Geological experts point out that the region sits precisely on the volatile fault line where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge. Additionally, environmental specialists have raised concerns that rising global temperatures, rapidly melting glaciers, and an increase in extreme weather events could further elevate the risk of natural disasters across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the near future.
As rescue operations continue at full pace, local officials warn that the casualty figures might rise as emergency response teams manage to clear out the debris in more remote locations.