Beijing, Oct 24:
At least 16 people were killed and 76 injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck a mountainous region in Tibet, prompting China to deploy satellites and drones to assist search-and-rescue operations. Authorities said relief work and the evacuation of affected residents were under way.
The shallow earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu city at 10.33 pm on Thursday, at a depth of less than 10 km. More than 330 houses were reported to have collapsed or sustained damage, while 12,489 residents had been evacuated from affected areas. The full extent of the destruction was still being assessed.
China deployed unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite systems to provide emergency communications and obtain images of the quake-hit region. The government allocated 50 million yuan in emergency disaster relief funds and earmarked another 30 million yuan for recovery operations. Relief supplies, including prefabricated houses, tents, folding beds and quilts, were also dispatched.
The rescue operation faces difficult conditions because the epicentre is located at an altitude of more than 4,800 metres. Temperatures were forecast to fall to minus nine degrees Celsius, with intermittent snowfall expected in nearby townships. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to locate missing people, treat the injured and prevent secondary disasters. The Tibetan Plateau is prone to powerful earthquakes because of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.