Beijing/Lhasa, Oct. 23 -- At least 16 people were killed, and 65 others were injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China's Tibet Autonomous Region, prompting the evacuation of more than 12,000 residents, authorities said.
The shallow earthquake struck at a depth of less than 10 kilometres in Baqen County in Nagqu City at around 10:33 pm (local time) on Thursday. The city's earthquake relief headquarters said on Friday that 11 of the injured were in serious condition, while 54 sustained minor injuries. So far, 12,489 residents have been evacuated, and rescue and relief operations, along with the resettlement of affected residents, are underway, state-run Xinhua news agency reported from Lhasa, the regional capital.
More than 330 houses collapsed or were damaged in the quake, and the extent of the damage is being assessed, according to earlier reports. Passenger trains on the affected section of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway resumed operations at reduced speeds on Friday morning, China Railway Qinghai-Xizang Group Co Ltd said. State Grid Xizang Electric Power Co Ltd said electricity had been restored to 1,937 households in the quake-hit area of Baqen County as of 10 am (local time) on Friday.
Relief supplies dispatched by authorities at various levels have reached the affected area. These include 1,000 sets of prefabricated houses, more than 3,200 tents, over 2,800 folding beds, and essential items such as quilts, stoves and clothing. The area around the epicentre has an average altitude of more than 4,800 metres. Temperatures are expected to fall to minus nine degrees Celsius over the next three days, with intermittent snowfall forecast on Saturday in three townships near the epicentre, local weather authorities said. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out search and rescue operations for missing people and prompt medical treatment for the injured. In his instructions, Xi called for every effort to be made to minimise casualties. He also stressed the need to closely monitor seismic activity and weather conditions to prevent secondary disasters, given the high altitude and low temperatures in the affected area.
Xi called for proper accommodation for affected residents, swift repairs to damaged infrastructure and measures to safeguard people's lives and property. Premier Li Qiang also called for effective disaster prevention and response efforts. The Tibetan Plateau is prone to powerful earthquakes as it lies in a region where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, generating significant seismic activity.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.