16 killed, dozens injured after 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes in Tibet

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New Delhi: At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured after a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City, in China’s Tibet on Thursday night.

The earthquake brought a lot of destruction, as more than 330 houses collapsed or sustained damage during the incident.

Rescue and relief activities began on Friday as the first responders helped affected residents and gauged the magnitude of destruction.

As officials continued to release the situation, the number of injured people also increased.

The quake hit at 10:33 pm (local time) with its epicentre lying in a remote, high-altitude part of northern Tibet.

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was approximately 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu, and the quake had a depth of 18 kilometres.

A number of aftershocks occurred after the quake. This left structural integrity of damaged buildings and the safety of residents in the region in question.

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Rescue and police teams were dispatched by local authorities to search the area, assist the injured and evacuate the people to safer places.

Over 12,000 people were evacuated as a precaution, and emergency supplies of tents, semi-permanent housing, foldaway beds and winter clothing were dispatched to the regions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on local officials to do their utmost to rescue those who are missing, assist the wounded and reduce the number of casualties. Officials also sought to restore critical services and evaluate damage to residences and infrastructure.

The tragedy has also underscored the hurdles faced in carrying out rescue missions in the mountainous region of Tibet, where the temperature was expected to plunge to freezing and snow was forecast.

The Indian and Eurasian plates are constantly colliding causing the Tibetan Plateau to be especially prone to earthquakes.

Authorities are still checking for aftershocks, damaged buildings and mobilizing families displaced by the earthquake to temporary housing. The number of dead remained unchanged at 16 in the Reuters report while the number of injured was up to 76.

Also Read: Earthquake of magnitude 4 struck China’s Xinjiang

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