A magnitude 7 earthquake struck the Nagqu area of Tibet late on Thursday, October 22, 2026, killing at least 16 people, according to Chinese state media. USGS data put the epicentre roughly 183 to 190 km east-northeast of the city of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area.
Injury counts differed between reports: Xinhua cited 32 injured, 11 of them seriously, while later reports gave 46 and 54. At least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, according to the Nagqu media office. Communications were down in some areas, and rockfalls closed a section of National Highway 317. Railway authorities suspended some train services.
China’s earthquake administration activated its Level II emergency response. President Xi Jinping called for all-out rescue and medical efforts, and tents and prefabricated housing were sent to the area. Rescuers face terrain averaging above 4,800 metres in elevation. The toll may change as search operations continue.
China’s southwest is prone to strong earthquakes because the Indian and Eurasian plates collide there. State broadcaster CCTV described this as the region’s strongest quake in five years.
Sources: The Nightly, Outlook India, AJC.
