Magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes Tibet's Nagqu region, at least two injured

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck northern Tibet at about 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday (14:33 GMT), the China Earthquake Networks Center said, with the epicentre in the sparsely populated, high-altitude Baqên County in Nagqu. The United States Geological Survey also measured the quake at magnitude 7.0, placing the epicentre about 183 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of roughly 10 kilometres. (https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/world/2026-10-22-magnitude-7-earthquake-strikes-northern-tibet/; https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/22/asia/earthquake-chinas-tibet-latam-intl)

State media reported at least two people injured in a village near the epicentre, with houses showing visible cracks. Videos released by local media showed residents leaving their homes and seeking shelter outside or in parked cars, and fire and rescue teams have been mobilised to the affected region. China’s Earthquake Administration activated a Level II emergency response, its second-highest tier, according to broadcaster CGTN. (https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/22/asia/earthquake-chinas-tibet-latam-intl)

The epicentre lies at an average elevation of about 4,864 metres within five kilometres, and roughly 400 kilometres from the Tibetan capital Lhasa, CENC data showed. A string of aftershocks of around magnitude 3 and 4 has been recorded, including a magnitude 5.2 tremor felt about 45 minutes after the main quake. (https://weather.com/2026/10/22/news/magnitude-7-earthquake-strikes-tibet)

The USGS said significant casualties and damage are possible but likely limited given the area’s extremely sparse population, and flagged a landslide hazard in the steep terrain. It is the strongest quake to hit the area since a 7.1-magnitude tremor struck Xinjiang in January 2024, which killed three people. No deaths have been confirmed in Tibet; this is a developing story. (https://weather.com/2026/10/22/news/magnitude-7-earthquake-strikes-tibet)