Rescuers search for survivors after deadly earthquake in China’s Tibet region
A magnitude 7 earthquake has struck the Nagqu region of Tibet, resulting in at least 16 deaths and significant infrastructure damage. Rescue operations are currently underway despite challenges posed by high altitude and freezing temperatures.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights the vulnerability of remote, high-altitude regions to seismic activity and the logistical difficulties of emergency response in such environments.
BEIJING - Rescuers combed through a remote area in the Chinese region of Tibet on Friday after a magnitude 7 earthquake killed at least 16 people, injured 76 and collapsed hundreds of homes, according to Chinese state media.The disaster struck Nagqu, a city north of Tibet's capital Lhasa that's some 4,800 meters (15,748 feet) above sea level, on Thursday. At least 339 homes collapsed, and officials told journalists they were concerned about further building collapses from aftershocks, as well as casualties from rockslides.China's national broadcaster CCTV aired footage Friday showing collapsed houses and shattered stone walls in Nagqu.More than 12,000 residents in the region were evacuated, with additional shelters under construction, China's official news agency Xinhua reported. No one was reported missing in Baqen County in Nagqu, where the earthquake struck.Search and rescue efforts are complicated by the geography and low temperatures, officials said.
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