Tibet earthquake: magnitude 7.0 quake kills at least 16 in Nagqu

Key takeaways

• The USGS recorded a magnitude 7.0 earthquake at 14:33:40 UTC on 22 October 2026 (10:33 p.m. local time), about 191 km east-northeast of Nagqu in northern Tibet.
• At least 16 people were killed, according to local authorities cited by Xinhua. Injury counts have risen through the night, from 32 in early reports to 65 in Xinhua's latest update.
• At least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, according to the Nagqu media office.
• President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search and rescue effort, Xinhua reported. More than 1,600 local personnel have been deployed.
• The USGS issued an orange PAGER alert, meaning some fatalities are possible and damage could be widespread.

What happened in the Tibet earthquake

A magnitude 7.0 Tibet earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu at 14:33 UTC on 22 October, killing at least 16 people and collapsing at least 339 homes, according to Chinese state media, local officials and the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake hit late on Thursday evening in a sparsely populated, high-altitude part of northern Tibet. The USGS placed the epicentre at 32.38°N, 93.78°E, at a depth of 18 km. Xinhua also reported a magnitude of 7.0 and, citing the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), gave a shallower depth of 10 km. Xinhua located it in Baqen (Baqing) County, which is part of Nagqu City in the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region.

China's state broadcaster CCTV described it as the biggest earthquake in the region in the last five years, the Associated Press reported. In villages nearest the epicentre some houses cracked, and residents left their homes or sheltered in cars, according to Xinhua as reported by Al Jazeera.

Timeline (UTC)

• 22 Oct, 14:33 – The magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes, according to the USGS.
• 22 Oct, about 21:00 – The Associated Press reports at least 16 dead and 32 injured, 11 of them seriously, citing the Nagqu media office.
• 23 Oct, 04:42 – Xinhua reports Xi Jinping's instructions and puts the injured at 65, citing local authorities.
• 23 Oct, 05:01 – An updated AP report carried by CBS News gives 54 injured and lists relief supplies arriving in the area.

Key figures so far

Rescue and relief response

Xi Jinping ordered all-out search and rescue for the missing and quick medical treatment for the injured, urging "every effort to minimize casualties," according to Xinhua. He also called for close monitoring of seismic activity and weather to prevent secondary disasters, given the high altitude and low temperatures, and for housing for displaced residents. Premier Li Qiang called for solid disaster response work, and the Ministry of Emergency Management and regional authorities have mobilised resources, Xinhua said.

Al Jazeera, citing Xinhua, reported that a level-II earthquake emergency response was activated. According to the AP, supplies reaching the area include 1,000 prefabricated housing units, about 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights and winter clothing. Police and fire rescue teams were putting up tents for people forced from their homes.

What we know and what we don't know yet

Known: the time, location and magnitude of the quake; at least 16 deaths; at least 339 collapsed homes; and a national-level rescue effort under way.

Not yet known: the final death and injury count. Injury figures differ between reports, and officials said tallies were still being checked. There is no confirmed number of missing people. It is also not yet clear how strong the aftershocks have been or how badly roads and communications in remote areas were damaged. The USGS rates landslide risk as orange, which means more damage may yet be found in mountain areas.

Background: why Tibet has strong earthquakes

The Tibetan Plateau is pushed up by the ongoing collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. According to the USGS, this quake came from normal faulting, consistent with the plateau stretching east to west. The USGS says 29 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or larger have struck the plateau and its edges since 1900. It also notes that a magnitude 6.9 quake in April 2010, about 272 km east-northeast of this epicentre, killed more than 2,500 people.

The last major quake in Tibet hit Dingri County, near Mount Everest, in January 2025. The USGS measured that event at magnitude 7.1, and Chinese state media said it killed at least 126 people.

What it means

The USGS describes the epicentral area as sparsely populated, yet its model still estimates that about 111,000 people felt moderate to severe shaking. Xi's own instructions point to the main risks for the coming days: high altitude, low temperatures and secondary disasters such as landslides, all of which weigh most heavily on families who have lost their homes. Watch for updated casualty figures from Xinhua and local authorities, aftershock data from the China Earthquake Networks Center and the USGS, and reports on whether roads and rail links in the area have reopened.

For more science and world coverage on Bullquill, read our explainers on NASA's Thwaites Glacier sea-level projections, the UNEP Emissions Gap report, the IUCN Red List warning on coral reefs and JAXA's MMX Phobos mission.

Sources

• USGS – M 7.0, 191 km ENE of Nagqu, China (event page, PAGER, tectonic summary)
• Xinhua – Xi orders all-out rescue efforts after 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Xizang
• Associated Press via NBC News – A 7.0 earthquake hits China's Tibet, killing 16 and injuring 32
• Associated Press via CBS News – At least 16 dead when powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes in Tibet
• Al Jazeera – Magnitude 7 earthquake kills 16 people in China's Tibet
• Caixin Global – Xi orders all-out rescue after magnitude 7.0 quake strikes Xizang