A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote region of China's Tibet Autonomous Region late Thursday night, according to official statements from the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). There were no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage, the agency added.
The earthquake hit Baqen County in Nagqu City at approximately 10:33 pm local time (at a shallow focal depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), state-run Xinhua news agency reported. CENC monitored the epicenter at 32.40 degrees north latitude and 93.79 degrees east longitude, approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the regional capital of Lhasa.
Geologists note that shallow-focus earthquakes generally increase the intensity of ground shaking near the surface, raising concerns for rural structures and transport routes in the vicinity. Strong tremors were felt across Nagqu, with mild shaking reported as far as Lhasa. However, emergency management officials expect potential human impacts to be mitigated by the low population density of the high-altitude plateau.
The seismic event comes on the heels of severe natural hazards in the broader Himalayan region. Devastating flash floods and glacial landslides along the Nepal–Tibet border in August claimed over 1,490 lives—including at least 1,455 in Nepal and 43 confirmed dead in Tibet—while leaving nearly 5,800 people missing across both sides of the border. However, authorities emphasized that there is no direct connection between Thursday's earthquake and prior weather-related disasters.
Local disaster management teams and seismic personnel are currently conducting field assessments across remote settlements in Nagqu to evaluate the full extent of any damage or casualties.
