(Photo courtesy of Anadolu)
ISTANBUL – A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, prompting warnings of possible casualties and significant economic losses, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake occurred at 10:33 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers, approximately 183 kilometers from Nagqu City in northern Tibet, officially known in China as the Xizang Autonomous Region.
The USGS issued a yellow alert for potential earthquake-related fatalities, indicating that casualties were possible, and an orange alert for economic losses, suggesting that significant and potentially widespread damage could occur.
The agency estimated that economic losses could reach less than 1 percent of China’s gross domestic product, noting that earthquakes with similar alert levels have previously required regional or national emergency responses.
No immediate reports of casualties or structural damage were available following the tremor.
The USGS also warned that many buildings in the affected region are vulnerable to strong ground shaking, increasing concerns over possible destruction.
In response, Chinese authorities activated a Level-II emergency response, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.
The emergency classification is used for serious earthquake disasters and certain high-magnitude earthquakes in critical areas, allowing authorities to mobilize resources and coordinate disaster response operations.
The latest earthquake comes months after Tibet experienced devastating flash floods in August, triggered by an ice and rock avalanche on Nepal’s Mount Langtang Lirung.
The disaster reportedly left nearly 1,500 people dead across affected areas in Nepal and China, with thousands still missing.
On the Chinese side, authorities recorded 43 deaths and 519 missing persons, including 261 foreign nationals in Tibet.
The latest earthquake has renewed concerns over disaster preparedness and the vulnerability of communities in the mountainous Himalayan region.
