Injuries in China’s Tibet rise to 76 after earthquake, death toll remains at 16

BEIJING – The number of people injured in a 7-magnitude earthquake that struck China’s south-western region of Tibet has risen to 76, the local authorities said at a press conference on Oct 23, while the death toll remained unchanged at 16.

The earth​quake, with an epicentre ​in Nagqu, a high-altitude city in sparsely populated northern Tibet, is the strongest to hit China since January 2024.

Homes that developed cracks or began to lean during the main quake on Oct 22 may be at risk of collapse during aftershocks, local officials said during the press conference, adding that communication and power supplies are gradually being restored.

More than 300 police officers, including traffic and community police personnel, were sent to the epicentre to carry out rescue and emergency relief work, the Nagqu police department said in a post on the messaging app WeChat on Oct 23.

Officers sent to the region checked for damage to homes and helped residents move to safer locations, the police added in the post.

A video posted by the police on Douyin, TikTok’s sister app, showed officers packing supplies on a truck in the dark and inspecting a building and rubble with torches.

More than 12,000 people have been safely relocated, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Videos previously released by local official media showed people leaving their homes and seeking shelter outside or in their cars parked on the street.

One resident reported being awakened by the strong quake and hearing the house squeaking during the tremor.

The China Earthquake Networks Center said 413 aftershocks had been recorded.

In 2010, a 7.1-magnitude tremor struck Yushu in neighbouring Qinghai province, killing at least 2,698 ​people and leaving nearly 300 missing. REUTERS