Magnitude 7 earthquake hits Tibet
The earthquake reportedly struck a sparsely populated area north-east of Nagqu; there was no immediate information on damage or casualties.
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An earthquake with a magnitude of 7 struck China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday. According to initial reports, the epicentre was in a sparsely populated area, and there were no reports of damage or casualties shortly after the earthquake.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake at 10.33pm local time. According to the agency, the epicentre was 191 kilometres north-east of Nagqu, in northern Tibet. The depth was estimated at 18 kilometres.
Chinese state media referred to the China Earthquake Networks Center, which reported a depth of about 10 kilometres. Differences between international and Chinese measurements are not unusual in an initial report; the precise location and depth may be revised later.
Nagqu lies more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa, the regional capital. Initial reports describe the area as sparsely populated; what that means for the impact remains unclear. That does not mean that damage or casualties can already be ruled out.
The initial reports did not yet contain an independent assessment of the consequences. Emergency services and local authorities will need to check communications, roads and remote settlements for that purpose. Landslides, aftershocks and damage to infrastructure may also become visible only later.
A magnitude of 7 is considered a major earthquake. The extent of the damage cannot yet be inferred from the reported magnitude alone. The available information is therefore provisional and says nothing definitive yet about the total damage.
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The initial facts were reported independently by AP and Reuters. The article explicitly keeps damage and casualties uncertain while local checks are still lacking.
- confirmed An earthquake with a magnitude of 7 struck Tibet on Thursday. — This was reported by AP and Reuters. source
- confirmed The epicentre was approximately 191 kilometres north-east of Nagqu. — The distance and location are based on the USGS data in the AP report. source
- confirmed The USGS and the Chinese earthquake centre differed on the depth. — AP reported 18 and 10 kilometres respectively. source
- confirmed There were initially no reports of damage or casualties. — AP presents this as the position reflected in the initial reports. source
Editor's note
The earthquake and the initial magnitude and location data were confirmed by AP and Reuters. Damage and casualty figures were not yet available at the time of publication.Sources
- A magnitude 7 earthquake shakes China’s Tibet — Associated Press
- Earthquake of magnitude 7 strikes China's Tibet — Reuters via MarketScreener
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „aardbeving tibet”
- AD — „aardbeving tibet”
- de Volkskrant — „aardbeving tibet”