1,600 workers rush to Nagqu as winter storms follow deadly 7.0 quake

More than 1,600 local county workers are now clearing rubble in Nagqu after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the region on Thursday night.

The tremor occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time, according to the US Geological Survey. The epicenter lay 119 miles east-north-east of the regional city of Nagqu, at a depth of 11 miles.

Chinese state media reported that at least 16 people died and 54 were injured. The Nagqu media office stated that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. CCTV identified the event as the region's largest earthquake in five years.

Rescue operations began immediately. Xinhua reported that more than 300 police officers and nearly 350 fire and rescue personnel joined the effort. Supplies arrived on site, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, roughly 3,000 tents, folding beds, torches, and winter clothing.

Infrastructure damage complicated the response. Local railway authorities halted trains passing through the area. Rockfalls closed a section of National Highway 317, restricting access to emergency and official vehicles while crews removed debris. Xinhua noted that communications remained down in some affected zones on Friday.

Weather conditions pose additional challenges. Intermittent snow is forecast for the next three days. The area sits at high altitude, and the cold temperature increases the need for the winter gear already delivered to the site.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out effort in rescue and medical relief. The region experienced other major seismic events recently. At least 126 people died in a January 2025 quake in Tingri county, and a December 2023 tremor in Gansu province killed at least 134 people.