Breaking: Powerful 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Hits China, Killing 16

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck southwestern Tibet, China, at around 10.33pm local time on Thursday. The disaster reportedly killed 16 people and injured 32 others.

Reuters reported on Friday (23 October 2026) that the epicentre was in a sparsely populated highland area in Nagqu, northern Tibet, at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles). Data from the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) put the average elevation within a five-kilometre radius of the epicentre at around 4,864 metres (15,960 feet).

Video released by official local media showed people leaving their homes and seeking shelter outside or in cars parked on the streets. One resident said they had been woken by the powerful quake and heard their house creaking as it shook.

“The earthquake was clearly felt in the local area,” CENC said.

The epicentre was about 400 kilometres from Tibet’s capital, Lhasa. Local fire and rescue teams have been mobilised and are heading to the affected area.

“At 2.25am on Friday, 11 of the injured were in serious condition, while 21 others had minor injuries,” Xinhua reported.

“Local authorities have found at least two injured people in a village near the epicentre, while several houses in nearby villages have developed cracks,” the state broadcaster said.

A series of smaller earthquakes, measuring around 3 and 4 in magnitude, were recorded in the surrounding area after the magnitude 7 quake. It was the strongest earthquake to hit China since January 2024.

In 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Yushu in Qinghai province, which borders Tibet. It killed at least 2,698 people and left nearly 300 missing.