At least 16 people have died in a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The quake struck on Thursday evening in the Nagchu city area, and rescue efforts are ongoing.
The Associated Press reported 54 injuries. Other initial reports put the number of injured at 46, with 11 in serious condition and the rest with minor injuries.
Hundreds of buildings destroyed
At least 339 homes and 20 livestock buildings collapsed, the local administration reported, quoted by Chinese media. The quake also caused rockfalls, which closed a section of National Highway 317. Only emergency vehicles and service vehicles were allowed to pass.
The epicenter was 191 kilometers northeast of Nagchu, in a sparsely populated highland area. According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake struck at a depth of about 18 kilometers. Nagchu is located more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa.
A local resident said that the strong shaking woke him up. “I heard my house creaking“, he told the Spanish newspaper “El Pais“.
More than 1,600 people are involved in the rescue efforts
More than 1,600 people from the local district have been sent to participate in the search and rescue efforts. 1,000 prefabricated houses, about 3,000 tents, camping beds, lanterns and winter clothing have been delivered to the affected area.
Communications in part of the area have been disrupted. Railway authorities have taken emergency measures and stopped trains passing through the affected area. Intermittent snowfall is expected over the next three days, which could complicate access to the affected settlements.
Chinese state television described the earthquake as the strongest in the region in the past five years. Rescue teams continue their work while authorities clarify the scale of the destruction and the number of victims.
Sources: apnews.com, indianexpress.com, elpais.com