7.0-magnitude earthquake hits Tibet, killing 16 and injuring 32

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the border region between Xizang and Qinghai in Chinese Tibet on October 22, killing 16 people and injuring 32 others, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua, citing preliminary reports.

Of the injured, 11 were reported to be in serious condition and 21 sustained minor injuries. The earthquake also caused 339 homes to collapse, while rescue and relief operations continued as authorities assessed the full extent of the damage.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, with its epicenter located 183 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu, China.

The tremor was recorded at 14:33 UTC, corresponding to 22:33 local time, the USGS reported.

The agency said the shaking was likely to have caused significant impacts, warning that casualties were possible and that the disaster could be widespread. Approximately 132,000 people experienced moderate to severe shaking.

Rescue teams continued search operations and provided assistance to the injured as authorities worked to determine the full scale of the disaster.

The USGS also warned that aftershocks could follow the earthquake, some of which may produce strong shaking.