An earthquake of magnitude 7 struck Tibet on Thursday at a depth of 10 km, killing at least 16 people, injuring 54 and causing hundreds of homes to collapse in the northern regional city of Nagqu, according to official media reports cited by the news agency AP.
Only emergency, rescue and official support vehicles were allowed to pass as crews worked to clear debris, chinese news agency Xinhua reported, according to AP. Search and rescue operations were underway after at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, the Nagqu media office said, citing city government officials. Earthquake struck at 10.33 pm local time, with its epicentre located 191 km (119 miles) east-northeast of Nagqu, in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area of northern Tibet, according to the US Geological Survey. The agency estimated the quake’s depth at 18 km (11 miles). Nagqu lies more than 300 km (186 miles) north of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The earthquake also triggered rockfalls, prompting local authorities to close a section of National Highway 317.
