At least 16 dead when powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Tibet
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China's Tibet region on Thursday evening local time, killing at least 16 people and destroying more than 300 homes, according to local officials.
The earthquake occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time in a high-altitude area of northern Tibet. While the region is sparsely populated, the quake caused significant damage, leaving 32 people wounded and hundreds homeless.
Epicenter and Depth
The United States Geological Survey reported the epicenter was 119 miles east-northeast of Nagqu, which is more than 186 miles north of Tibet's capital, Lhasa. There was a discrepancy in the reported depth, with USGS measuring it at 11 miles and China Earthquake Networks Center citing 6.2 miles.
Regional Impact
China's national broadcaster CCTV noted this was the biggest earthquake in the region in the last five years. The disaster comes less than two months after devastating flash flooding in a Nepal-Tibet border region left hundreds dead and destroyed several communities.
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