Tibetan Quake Response: 1,600 Staff Mobilize as Snow Falls
Relief crews in Nagqu face deteriorating weather after a magnitude 7 earthquake destroyed 339 homes and killed 16 people.
By Samir Lin ·
Rescue teams in northern China are working against a forecast of intermittent snow that will cover the quake zone for the next three days. The weather threatens to slow operations in the region of Nagqu, where a magnitude 7 earthquake struck on Thursday evening. The seismic event killed at least 16 people and injured 46 others, according to official media reports.
The disaster began at 10:33 p.m. local time on Thursday, when the U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake at a depth of 18 kilometres. The epicenter was located 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu, a city situated in a sparsely populated, high-altitude area. Nagqu lies more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa, the regional capital.
Local authorities confirmed that 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. Of the 46 injured, 11 were in serious condition while 35 suffered minor injuries. Search and rescue operations were still active as of Friday. More than 1,600 personnel from the local county have been deployed to the site to assist with recovery efforts.
Logistics have become a priority as infrastructure fails. Xinhua reported that communication lines were down in parts of the region. Railway authorities halted train services passing through the affected area. Officials also closed a section of National Highway 317 due to rockfalls, restricting access to emergency and support vehicles until crews clear debris.
Relief supplies have arrived to aid the survivors. These shipments include 1,000 prefabricated housing units, 3,000 tents and folding beds, flashlights, and winter clothing. China's national broadcaster CCTV identified this event as the largest earthquake in the region in the past five years.
The immediate focus remains on clearing the area before the snow arrives. The combination of high altitude and cold weather presents challenges for the 1,600 workers on the ground. The destruction of hundreds of structures has displaced residents, making the delivery of shelter and warm clothing an urgent necessity.
Source: CBC News
