Nagqu mobilizes 1,600 rescuers as snow threatens cleanup after 7.0 quake
Relief crews are racing against weather in northern Tibet following an earthquake that killed 16 people and destroyed 339 homes.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
Snow is forecast to fall over the next three days in the earthquake zone, adding urgency to rescue efforts in northern China. Meteorologists reported intermittent snow is expected across the area where a magnitude 7.0 quake struck on Thursday evening.
Local authorities in Nagqu reported that at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. The disaster killed 16 people and injured 46 others. Of the injured, 11 are in serious condition. Search and rescue teams are still active in the region.
The local county has dispatched more than 1,600 workers to the site. Relief supplies have arrived, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,000 tents, and folding beds. Flashlights and winter clothing were also delivered to support the response.
Infrastructure remains disrupted in the area. Local railway authorities halted train traffic through the affected zone. Officials closed a section of National Highway 317 after the tremor caused rockfalls. Only emergency and support vehicles are currently permitted to pass while crews clear debris. Communication networks are also down in parts of the region, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
The U.S. Geological Survey located the epicenter 191 kilometers east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 18 kilometers. The quake occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time. CCTV described the event as the largest earthquake in the region in five years. Nagqu is situated more than 300 kilometers north of Lhasa.
Source: CBC News
