Madar (International) - A magnitude 7 earthquake struck China's southwestern region of Tibet at around 10:33 pm local time (14:33 GMT) on Thursday, October 22, 2026, killing 16 people and injuring 32 others, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the emergency management bureau of Nagqu City, according to Al Jazeera, citing AFP and Reuters.
Eleven of the injured were in serious condition and 21 sustained minor injuries, Xinhua said, adding that a level-II earthquake disaster emergency response had been activated in the area.
The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was in a mountainous area about 190 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu and 390 kilometres northeast of the regional capital, Lhasa.
Local authorities found at least two people injured in a village near the epicentre, and some houses in the villages closest to it showed cracks, according to Xinhua. Videos released by local official media showed people leaving their homes and seeking shelter outside or in their cars parked on the street.
The earthquake is the strongest to hit China since January 2024.
