OMM Newsroom
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet autonomous region, officially called the Xizang autonomous region by Beijing, on Thursday, with the US Geological Survey (USGS) warning that damage could be widespread, Anadolu Agency reported.
The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres, about 183 kilometres from Nagqu in the northern part of the region. It struck at 10.33 pm local time (1433 GMT).
The USGS issued a yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities, indicating that some casualties are possible. It also issued an orange alert for economic losses, warning that significant damage is likely and could have a widespread impact.
Estimated economic losses are expected to be less than 1% of China’s GDP, the USGS said. It added that past earthquakes at this alert level had required a regional or national response.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The USGS said people in the region generally live in structures vulnerable to earthquake shaking.
The region was hit by devastating flash floods in August, triggered by an ice and rock avalanche on Nepal’s Mount Langtang Lirung. Nearly 1,500 people were killed on both sides, while thousands remain missing.
On the Chinese side, the death toll remains at 43, with 519 people missing, including 261 foreigners in Tibet.
