16 killed, 32 injured in magnitude-7 earthquake in China’s Tibet — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 16 people have been killed and 32 others injured in a magnitude-7 earthquake in China’s Tibet region, Chinese state media have reported. According to Al Jazeera, the earthquake struck Tibet in southwestern China at around 10:33pm local time on Thursday, 22 October. The state-run Xinhua news agency, citing the Nagqu city emergency management department, reported that 11 of the 32 injured people were in critical condition, while the other 21 sustained minor injuries. Chinese authorities activated a Level II emergency response to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake, according to the report. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicentre was in a mountainous area about 190 kilometres north-east of Nagqu and 390 kilometres north-east of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Local officials said several houses in villages near the epicentre had developed cracks and at least two people were injured in one nearby village. Footage released by Chinese state media showed residents leaving their homes and seeking safety in open spaces and parked vehicles along the roads. According to Al Jazeera, this was the strongest earthquake to hit China since January 2024.