At least 16 people were killed and 65 others injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, prompting emergency response measures and large-scale relief operations, officials said on Friday.
Of the injured, 11 were in serious condition, while the remaining 54 sustained minor injuries. More than 330 houses collapsed or suffered damage in the powerful quake, according to the city’s earthquake relief headquarters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered authorities to launch all-out search and rescue operations for missing people and ensure prompt medical treatment for the injured.
In his instructions, Xi called for every possible effort to minimise casualties and provide assistance to those affected by the earthquake.
The earthquake struck at around 10:33 pm on Thursday, following which the regional disaster prevention, reduction and relief committee activated a Level III emergency response for natural disaster relief on Friday.
Relief operations were underway in the affected areas, with authorities at various levels dispatching essential supplies to the quake-hit zone from early Friday morning.
The relief material included 1,000 sets of prefabricated houses, more than 3,200 tents and over 2,800 folding beds, besides quilts, stoves, clothing and other daily necessities, state-run Xinhua news agency reported from Lhasa, the regional capital.
Authorities are continuing to assess the extent of the damage, with the overall impact of the earthquake yet to be fully determined.
The Tibetan Plateau is highly vulnerable to earthquakes because it lies in a tectonically active region where the Indian and Eurasian plates converge and collide, generating powerful seismic activity.
