Residents in Nagqu Wait for Shelter as Snow Looms After Major Quake

A powerful tremor shook northern Tibet on Thursday evening, killing at least 16 people and leaving 46 others injured. The magnitude 7 earthquake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with its epicenter located 191 kilometers east-northeast of the city of Nagqu.

Local officials reported that the damage was concentrated around Nagqu, where 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. Of the 46 people treated for injuries, 11 are in serious condition. Search and rescue teams remain active in the area as they continue to clear debris.

More than 1,600 workers from the local county have been deployed to the zone. Relief shipments have begun arriving, delivering 1,000 prefabricated housing units along with 3,000 tents, folding beds, and winter clothing. These supplies aim to provide immediate shelter for residents displaced by the structural failures.

Infrastructure issues have compounded the recovery effort. Xinhua reported that communication lines were down in parts of the region. Railway authorities halted train traffic through the affected area, and officials closed a section of National Highway 317 due to rockfalls. Only emergency and support vehicles are currently permitted to pass while crews remove fallen stone.

Weather forecasts indicate intermittent snow will fall across the quake zone over the next three days. This cold front threatens to slow progress for rescue workers. CCTV identified the event as the largest seismic activity in the region in five years. Nagqu sits more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa, placing the disaster in a remote, high-altitude environment.