BEIJING (AP) — Rescuers combed a remote area of China’s Tibet region Friday after a magnitude 7 earthquake According to Chinese state media, at least 16 people were killed, 76 others injured and hundreds of homes collapsed.
The disaster struck Nagqu, a town north of Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, about 4,800 meters (15,748 feet) above sea level on Thursday. At least 339 houses collapsed and officials told reporters they were concerned about further building collapses from the aftershocks, as well as casualties from the landslides.
China’s national broadcaster CCTV broadcast footage on Friday showing collapsed houses and broken stone walls in Nagqu.
More than 12,000 residents in the region have been evacuated and additional shelters are under construction, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported. No one was reported missing in Baqen County, Nagqu, where the earthquake struck.
Search and rescue efforts are complicated by geography and low temperatures, officials said. By Friday afternoon, rescuers had carried out three rounds of searches, passing through every household and village, Dunzhu, acting mayor of Nagqu City, said at a news conference.
More than 5,000 people from three local counties were deployed for relief efforts. Supplies including 2,000 prefabricated housing units, approximately 3,400 tents and 2,000 folding beds, as well as flashlights and winter clothing, have arrived in the region.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday, with its epicenter 191 kilometers (119 miles) east-northeast of Nagchu. The depth of the earthquake was estimated at 18 kilometers (11 miles).
The U.S. agency recorded at least seven aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.2, all with a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), according to its website.
Xinhua said Friday that communications were down in some quake-hit areas. Local rail authorities took emergency measures to stop trains passing through the area.
The earthquake also caused rockfalls that forced local authorities to close a section of National Highway 317, allowing only emergency, rescue and official support vehicles to pass while crews worked to clear debris, according to Xinhua.
Intermittent snowfall is expected in the seismic region over the next three days, Xinhua said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts in rescue operations and medical relief, issuing instructions Friday morning. The Chinese leader only does this in cases of major disasters and accidents.
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