XIZANG, China — At least 16 people have been killed and 76 others injured after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu, in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, at 10:33 p.m. on Thursday, local authorities said.
The casualty figures were updated as of 1 p.m. Friday, according to a press conference held by the information office of the Nagqu municipal government.
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More than 5,000 personnel have been deployed to the disaster-hit area to support search-and-rescue operations, provide medical assistance, establish temporary shelters and distribute essential supplies.
Rescue operations are continuing, with an emergency command headquarters established at the scene to coordinate relief efforts and manage the response.
Local authorities have intensified round-the-clock monitoring of potentially hazardous locations, including mountain slopes, reservoirs, power stations, rivers, structurally unsafe buildings and telecommunications base stations. Emergency repair work is also underway, with damaged power and telecommunications facilities gradually being restored.
Earthquake monitoring, meteorological and emergency management departments are working together to issue timely warnings about potential aftershocks and adverse weather conditions.
Police and transport authorities have inspected more than 1,700 kilometers of roads, 201 bridges and 324 culverts to ensure access for rescue teams and relief supplies. The inspections identified 11 potential hazards, while fallen rocks were cleared from seven sections of road, according to officials.
The Red Cross Society of China has dispatched a working team to the affected region to assist local relief operations. It has also allocated 3,800 sets of emergency supplies, including family relief kits, hygiene kits, heaters, tents, jackets, folding beds and quilts.
Meanwhile, the China Charity Federation has allocated 3 million yuan (approximately $446,561) to support emergency rescue and relief operations.
Rescue teams and local authorities continue to coordinate efforts to assist affected residents, assess damage and restore essential services across the earthquake-hit area.
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