16 killed, 32 injured in magnitude 7 earthquake in Tibet; rescue ops under way

At least 16 people were killed and 32 others injured after a magnitude 7 earthquake struck the Tibet region on Thursday evening, damaging hundreds of homes and triggering emergency rescue operations in the northern city of Nagqu. The city's media office said at least 339 homes had collapsed, citing local government officials. Of the injured, 11 were seriously hurt, while 21 suffered minor injuries. Police and fire department personnel were working to rescue people and provide temporary shelter to those who had lost their homes. Rescue teams were also putting up tents to accommodate residents displaced by the earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 10.33 pm local time, with its epicentre about 191 kilometres east-north-east of Nagqu. The area is sparsely populated and lies at a high altitude in northern Tibet. The USGS estimated the quake's depth at 18 kilometres below the Earth's surface. Nagqu lies more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The extent of the damage and the condition of affected residents remained a focus of ongoing rescue and relief efforts.