Tibet Earthquake: Magnitude 7.0 Quake in Nagqu Kills 16, Thousands Evacuated

As of 7:35 AM IST, Saturday 24 October 2026. Casualty figures come from Chinese state media (Xinhua) quoting local authorities, and have changed between updates. Independent access to the area is limited, so treat all numbers as provisional.

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City, in China's Tibet Autonomous Region (officially called Xizang in China), at 10:33 PM Beijing time on Thursday, 22 October 2026. That was 8:03 PM IST. Xinhua's latest figures, published early on 24 October, put the toll at 16 dead and 76 injured. More than 12,000 people have been evacuated from a remote high-altitude herding region where night-time temperatures are already well below freezing.

What happened

The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) measured the quake at magnitude 7.0. The US Geological Survey (USGS) also recorded it as M7.0, locating it about 191 km east-north-east of Nagqu. The two agencies give different depths: CENC reported about 10 km, while USGS lists about 18 km. Differences like this are common in early seismic estimates. Either way, it was a shallow quake, which usually means stronger shaking at the surface.

Xinhua's 24 October report said the quake was "high in magnitude and shallow in focus". Strong shaking was felt in the core epicentral area, including Maru and Gangqie townships, the two worst-hit areas, where homes collapsed and power and telecom lines were damaged. One villager in Maru told Xinhua there were "more than a dozen" tremors that night.

Casualties and damage: how the numbers changed

Xinhua's latest update also reported:

• 339 households with collapsed or damaged homes
• 20 livestock shelters damaged
• 12,489 residents evacuated as of 10 AM on 23 October

Reports did not say whether anyone is still missing. President Xi Jinping's instruction called for all-out efforts to search for "the missing", which suggests some people were unaccounted for at that stage.

The rescue effort

• National response: China's State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management launched a Level IV national earthquake emergency response, the lowest of China's four levels, and sent working groups to the area.
• Xi's instruction: Xi ordered "all-out search and rescue efforts" and prompt treatment for the injured. He also told officials to watch seismic activity and the weather closely to prevent secondary disasters. Premier Li Qiang also called for strong disaster response.
• Relief supplies: According to Xinhua, the supplies that had arrived included 1,000 sets of prefabricated houses, more than 3,200 tents and more than 2,800 folding beds, plus quilts, stoves and clothing. Eighteen resettlement sites had been set up.
• Medical teams: Nagqu health authorities sent 139 medical staff, 40 ambulances and a mobile CT unit. Xinhua reported that one county hospital team drove more than 300 km overnight to reach a village by about 3 AM.
• Infrastructure: Passenger trains on the affected section of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway were running again at reduced speed on Friday morning, according to the railway operator. State Grid said power had been restored to 1,937 households by 10 AM on Friday.

Why conditions are so hard

Altitude and cold

Baqen lies in the high, cold herding country of northern Tibet, more than 600 km from Lhasa. The average altitude is over 4,500 m, and nearer 4,800 m around the epicentre. Forecasters told Xinhua temperatures would drop as low as −9°C over the following three days, with intermittent snow expected on Saturday in the three townships near the epicentre. Moving people from tents into prefabricated shelters quickly is now a priority.

Scattered settlements

Nomadic herders live far apart, so search teams spend much of their time travelling between homes. Rescuers told Xinhua that some herding sites can only be reached on foot up steep slopes, and that in the first hours some teams dug by hand because machinery could not get in.

Aftershocks and landslides

Up to 9 AM on 23 October, 23 aftershocks of magnitude 3.0 or more had been recorded, the largest M4.3. Experts quoted by Xinhua said more felt quakes are possible over the next few days. Officials named landslides, collapses and rockfalls as the main secondary risks, along with further damage to already weakened buildings.

Context: a seismically active plateau

The Tibetan Plateau was formed by the ongoing collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, and large earthquakes are a recurring hazard there. In January 2025, a magnitude 7.1 quake (as measured by USGS) struck Dingri County near the Nepal border. Chinese state media reported more than 120 deaths. That quake was far deadlier than this one, partly because it hit a more populated area. HorizonDesk has not compared the two events' shaking intensity in detail, and early tolls in remote areas can change.

For India, this event is a reminder of the shared Himalayan seismic belt. There have been no reports of damage or casualties in India or Nepal from the Baqen quake, which struck well inside the plateau.

For travellers and families

• Foreign visitors to Tibet need special permits in addition to a Chinese visa. Expect travel in Nagqu and along affected roads to be restricted during relief work. China's visa rules for many nationalities are also changing; see our explainer on China's visa-free entry deadline.
• Rail services on the Qinghai–Tibet line are running at reduced speed, so check with operators before travelling.
• Follow official updates from Chinese authorities and your embassy, and be cautious with unverified casualty claims and images shared on social media.

The region has also been hit by severe weather this season; see our report on Super Typhoon Champi.

What is still unclear

• Whether the toll of 16 dead is final, and whether anyone remains missing.
• The full extent of damage in the most remote herding sites, which are still being surveyed house by house.
• The exact depth of the quake (CENC about 10 km; USGS about 18 km).

Sources

• Xinhua: 16 killed, 65 injured after 7.0-magnitude quake hits China's Xizang (23 Oct 2026)
• Xinhua (Chinese): Overview of Baqen earthquake rescue work (24 Oct 2026)
• gov.cn: Xi orders all-out rescue efforts after 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Xizang
• China Ministry of Emergency Management: Level IV emergency response launched
• USGS: M 7.0, 191 km ENE of Nagqu, China (event us6000u43g)
• AP News: Magnitude 7 earthquake hits China's Tibet region, killing 16 people