Powerful earthquake in China’s Tibet region collapses hundreds of homes and kills at least 16 people

BEIJING (AP) – A magnitude 7 earthquake hit China's Tibet region on Thursday evening, killing at least 16 individuals, injuring 54 and collapsing hundreds of homes in the northern regional city of Nagqu, official media stated.

Key points

• Search and rescue efforts continued after the collapse of at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds, the Nagqu media office stated, citing city administration office-holders.
• More than 1, 600 individuals from the local county were deployed for rescue efforts.
• Geological Survey remarked the quake occurred at 10: 33 p.m.

What happened

More than 1, 600 individuals from the local county were deployed for rescue efforts. As well as flashlights and winter clothing arrived in the region, supplies including 1, 000 prefabricated housing units, around 3, 000 tents and folding beds.

Notably, the U.S. Geological Survey remarked the quake occurred at 10: 33 p.m. Local time, with its epicenter 191 kilometers (119 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of northern Tibet. It put the earthquake's depth at 18 kilometers (11 miles).

The bottom line

For now, powerful earthquake in China's Tibet region collapses hundreds of homes and kills remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.