Deadly M7.0 quake strikes China’s Tibet region on Thursday
State media reported numerous casualties and building collapses
A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck western China late Thursday night local time.
The epicentre was located about 200 km northeast of Nagqu in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Estimates from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) show that about 50,000 residents in the region experienced strong to severe shaking during the event, which occurred around 10:30 a.m. Toronto time. An additional 500,000+ people likely felt light to moderate shaking.
“Significant damage is likely and the disaster is potentially widespread,” the USGS said on its website. Additional aftershocks are likely.
China’s state news agency Xinhua reported numerous casualties and building collapses in the affected areas.
Tibet exists in a tectonically active region where the Indian Plate moves north and collides with the Eurasian Plate, creating the Himalaya Mountains.
Numerous earthquakes registering M7.0 or stronger have been recorded here in the past few decades, including one in January 2025 that killed more than 100 people.