Nagqu Families Face Cold Relief Tents After Homes Collapse

Residents in the northern Tibetan city of Nagqu are waiting in relief tents while crews clear debris from the streets. A magnitude 7 earthquake struck the region at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday, causing immediate structural failures in homes and livestock sheds. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the tremor at a depth of 18 kilometres, with the epicenter located 191 kilometres east-northeast of the city center.

The Nagqu media office reported that at least 16 people died and 46 others were injured. Of the injured, 11 remain in serious condition while 35 sustained minor wounds. Officials confirmed that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. More than 1,600 local personnel have been deployed to the area to continue search and rescue operations.

Relief supplies began arriving shortly after the quake struck. The package includes 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing. These items aim to provide immediate shelter for displaced families as the autumn weather sets in. Local railway authorities halted train traffic through the affected zone to prevent further damage to tracks.

Infrastructure damage continues to hamper response efforts. Xinhua News Agency reported that communication lines are down in parts of the region. A section of National Highway 317 remains closed after the quake triggered rockfalls. Currently, only emergency and official support vehicles are permitted to pass through the blocked area while crews remove debris.

Meteorological forecasts indicate intermittent snow is expected across the quake zone over the next three days. This weather pattern may slow the pace of reconstruction and rescue work. CCTV identified the event as the largest earthquake in the region in the past five years. Nagqu sits more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet region.