At least 18 people are dead and dozens injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China's Tibet region on Thursday night, and rescue teams are now racing to reach remote high-altitude villages where at least 339 homes have collapsed. State media reports put the number of injured at 46 — including 11 in serious condition — as search operations continued into Friday in the Nagqu area of northern Tibet.
The quake hit at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday, October 22, 2026, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and China's official Xinhua news agency, citing local authorities.
Rescue teams mobilize for remote, high-altitude zone
More than 1,600 personnel from nearby areas have been deployed to the scene, state media reported, with 300 police officers and 347 regional fire and rescue personnel sent to the affected villages. Emergency supplies — including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, around 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights and winter clothing — have arrived in the region.
The epicenter is in Maru township in Baqen county, a sparsely populated area of Nagqu, in northern Tibet. Township deputy head Lhawang Dagpo told Xinhua that the quake was clearly felt at the township office, which sustained cracks in its walls. Rescue teams were also building temporary tents to house residents displaced by the quake, and disaster relief work was continuing as officials evaluated the full extent of the damage.
The geography complicates the response: the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) says the average elevation within 5 km of the epicenter is about 4,864 meters (15,960 feet), and weather authorities forecast intermittent snowfall in the affected areas over the next three days.
The quake and the damage so far
The USGS places the epicenter about 190 km (120 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu and 390 km northeast of the regional capital Lhasa. Xinhua put the quake's depth at 10 km (6.2 miles) based on CENC data, while the USGS estimated 18 km (11 miles).
Authorities confirmed at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, the Nagqu media office said, citing city government officials. In villages closest to the epicenter, houses showed visible cracks, and rescue workers were photographed clambering through damaged buildings, some with collapsed roofs, shining flashlights inside while searching for survivors.
A series of smaller tremors around magnitude 3 and 4 were recorded in surrounding regions after the main quake, CENC data showed. CCTV called it the biggest earthquake in the region in the last five years, and Reuters reported it as the strongest to hit China since January 2024.
Roads, rails and communications disrupted
Power and telecommunications services were disrupted in parts of Baqen county, Xinhua reported. Railway authorities suspended train services through the affected areas, CCTV said, and sections of National Highway 317 were closed because of rockfalls — only emergency, rescue and official vehicles were allowed through while debris was being cleared.
Videos released by local state-run media showed residents leaving their homes and sheltering outside or in parked cars after being awakened by the tremor. A high-level earthquake disaster emergency response has been activated in the area, state media reported.
What to watch next
The death toll may still change as search teams reach more villages and damage assessments continue. Officials are still evaluating the damage in the sparsely populated county, and the combination of high altitude, disrupted communications and incoming snow makes the coming days critical for survivors awaiting shelter. The quake follows the deadly January 2025 earthquake in Tibet's Tingri county, which killed at least 126 people, and a December 2023 quake in Gansu province that killed at least 127 — a reminder of how exposed the region's mountain communities remain to seismic disasters.
Sources: NDTV; Reuters via Nikkei Asia; CNN; The Hindu; The Indian Express.
Watch: Euronews footage shows panic as the 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocks Tibet
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