BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered all-out search and rescue efforts for the missing after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday night, Xinhua reported.
The earthquake killed at least 16 people, according to Xinhua, which cited Nagqu City’s emergency management bureau. The injury toll rose through the night in official updates, reaching 54, with 11 people seriously hurt.
Xi also ordered prompt medical treatment for the injured. He told officials to guard against secondary disasters and properly resettle people driven from their homes, Xinhua said. He called for stronger earthquake monitoring and early warning, quick delivery of relief supplies and fast repairs to damaged infrastructure. Residents’ basic needs must be met, he said, so they can get through the winter safely and warmly.
Premier Li Qiang told authorities to verify the scale of the disaster and the casualty figures and to organize all-out rescue work to keep deaths as low as possible, according to Xinhua. Because the county sits on a cold plateau, Li said every means should be used to protect residents’ basic livelihood and keep them warm. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing led a team to the quake area to guide the rescue and relief work.
The quake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday. The U.S. Geological Survey put the epicenter about 191 kilometers (119 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu, at a depth of 18 kilometers (11 miles). China’s earthquake agency measured the depth at 10 kilometers.
At least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, local authorities said. The average elevation within 5 kilometers of the epicenter is about 4,864 meters (15,960 feet), the China Earthquake Networks Center said, and forecasters expect intermittent snowfall in the area over the next three days.
State media reported more than 1,600 rescue personnel sent to the area, with 1,000 prefabricated housing units, about 3,000 tents, folding beds, flashlights and warm clothing. Power and telecommunications were disrupted in parts of Baqen County. Railway services through the area were suspended, and sections of National Highway 317 were closed after rockfalls, with only rescue and official vehicles allowed through.
Reuters reported the quake was the strongest to hit China since January 2024. Officials were still assessing damage in the sparsely populated county on Friday, and the toll could change as rescue teams reach more villages.
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