Hundreds of houses collapse as powerful earthquake hits China (VIDEOS)

Hundreds of houses have collapsed after a powerful earthquake struck China’s Tibet region, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens more, according to local authorities.

The magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck the northern Tibetan city of Nagqu at 10:33pm local time on Thursday. 

The death toll stood at 16 on Friday morning, with 46 people injured, including 11 seriously, according to the latest figures released by local disaster relief authorities. At least 339 houses and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, the Associated Press reported, citing local government officials.

Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed residents rushing into the streets as buildings shook.

The shallow tremor struck at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers, according to Chinese seismologists. The US Geological Survey estimated its depth at 18 kilometers, placing the epicenter in a sparsely populated mountainous area.

More than 1,600 local personnel have been mobilized for search-and-rescue operations. Emergency supplies, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, some 3,000 tents, beds and winter clothing, have been dispatched to assist displaced residents.

The earthquake also triggered rockfalls that forced the closure of a major highway, while railway services were temporarily suspended for safety inspections. Communications were disrupted in parts of the affected region, complicating rescue operations.

Forecasters have warned of intermittent snowfall over the next three days, raising concerns about worsening conditions for survivors and emergency workers.

The latest disaster comes less than two months after a massive ice-and-rock avalanche near the Tibet-Nepal border unleashed catastrophic flooding, killing more than 1,450 people in Nepal and dozens in China.

Thursday’s tremor was the strongest to hit the Nagqu region in five years, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Authorities have warned that the casualty figures could rise as rescue teams continue searching damaged buildings and assessing the destruction.