3,614 recorded Strongest: 3 mb 5.1 events[2][3][4]
Casualties
126 fatalities, 351 injuries
On 7 January 2025 at 09:05 CST (UTC+8), an earthquake measuring Mw 7.1 struck Tingri County, located in the Shigatse prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of Southwestern China.[5] At least 126 people were killed and 338 were injured in the region, although Tibetan officials believe that the true death toll was likely higher as many local sources were prohibited from spreading any information of casualties. The earthquake also injured 13 people in Nepal and caused minor damage in Northern India. Shaking was felt across South Asia. The earthquake was the largest in China since the Maduo earthquake in May 2021 and the deadliest since the Jishishan earthquake in December 2023.[6][7] It was caused by normal faulting and originated within the continental crust at 10 km (6.2 mi) depth.[5]
Earthquake
USGS ShakeMap illustrating ground motion around the epicentre
The United States Geological Survey noted that the earthquake measured a moment magnitude (Mw ) of 7.1, while the China Earthquake Networks Center documented its magnitude at Ms 6.8. The shock occurred at 10 km (6.2 mi) depth, indicating it occurred within the continental crust that forms the Tibetan Plateau.[8] It was caused by normal faulting with a minor strike-slip component.[9]Focal mechanism solutions indicate that the rupture occurred on a north-south striking fault, dipping moderately to either to the east or west.[5] The epicentre was at Tsogo Township in Tingri County, an area with an average altitude of 4,500 m (14,800 ft).[10] Moment magnitude and surface wave magnitude (MS) are two slightly different ways to measure the strength of an earthquake; moment magnitude is more recently developed to measure total energy released by the earthquake.[11]
Modelling of the rupture by the United States Geological Survey revealed motion along a north–northeast striking fault dipping west–northwest or north–northwest striking fault dipping east–northeast. In both solutions, co-seismic slip occurred for about 80 km (50 mi) along strike and extended to 20 km (12 mi) depth. The maximum slip in these solutions were 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) and 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in), respectively. A rupture area of about 80 km (50 mi) x 20 km (12 mi) was estimated, extending from Ngamring County to southern Tingri County near the border with Nepal.[5] Seismologists at the China Earthquake Networks Center said the mainshock originated within the Lhasa terrane, a crustal block that forms part of the plateau.[12] Geologic activity causes north–south compression and east−west extension within the plateau which are accommodated by faults.[13]
The China Earthquake Administration evaluated that the enture rupture occurred within 24 seconds, releasing a seismic moment estimated at 4.0469 × 1019Nm. The greatest moment release occurred 14 seconds after the rupture initiated. The rupture propagated bilaterally along a normal fault, but most of it was directed northward. The institution also determined that there was a high likelihood of surface rupture.[9] Surface ruptures were later mapped via satellite imagery; they occurred on the eastern shores of Dengme Co lake discontinuously for 11 km (6.8 mi). These ruptures exhibited normal faulting characteristics.[14] The Ministry of Natural Resources projected a 50 km (31 mi) rupture extending to 16 km (9.9 mi) depth by using seismic inversion of InSAR data. Much of the coseismic slip occurred at 1 to 5 km (0.62 to 3.11 mi) depth and a maximum slip of 6 m (20 ft) was Inferred at 1 to 2 km (0.62 to 1.24 mi) depth.[15] In Changsuo Township vertical scarps of 3 m (9.8 ft) were measured along a zone of ruptures nearly 4 km (2.5 mi) long at 5,300 to 5,500 m (17,400 to 18,000 ft) elevation.[16]
In a survey by the China Earthquake Administration, intensity VI or higher on the China seismic intensity scale was felt for more than 23,986 km2 (9,261 sq mi) along a general north–south trend. A 411 km2 (159 sq mi) area was assigned IX including Changsuo, Quluo, Cuoguo, Nixia and Jiacuo townships. Intensity VIII formed a band around the meizoseismal area for 869 km2 (336 sq mi) which encompassed 8 townships. Twenty townships across Tingri, Lhazi, Dinggye, Sakya and Angren counties were within the VII isoseismal band that was assigned to a 5,350 km2 (2,070 sq mi) area.[17] At least 3,614 aftershocks followed the mainshock by 14 January.[18]
The Tibetan plateau attains its high elevation due to crustal thickening caused by the collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian plate, creating the Himalayas.[19]Faulting within the plateau is associated with strike-slip and normal mechanisms. The plateau extends in an east–west direction evidenced by north–south striking grabens, strike-slip faulting and GPS data.[20] In the northern region, strike-slip faulting constitutes the dominant style of tectonics while in the south, the dominant tectonic domain is east-west extension on north–south trending normal faults.[21] Seven north–south trending rifts and normal faults were first discovered in southern Tibet during the late 1970s and early 1980s using satellite imagery. They began formation when extension occurred some 4 to 8 million years ago.[22]
The largest earthquakes in Tibet, with magnitudes of 8.0 or similar, occur along strike-slip faults. Normal faulting earthquakes are smaller in magnitudes; in 2008, five normal faulting earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.9 to 7.1 occurred in various locations across the plateau. These earthquakes occurred on faults with dip angles of 40 to 50 degrees and extended to a depth of 10 to 15 km (6.2 to 9.3 mi).[20] A 2010 study in Geophysical Journal International observed within the past 43 years that 85 percent of the seismic moment released during normal faulting earthquakes occurred in areas of more than 4.5 to 5 km (2.8 to 3.1 mi) elevation. This may suggest normal faulting earthquakes are dependent on gravitational potential energy to trigger these ruptures.[20]
Since 1949, 37 earthquakes of Ms 5.0–5.9, 7 of Ms 6.0–6.9, and 1 of Ms 7.0–7.9 have been recorded within 200 km (120 mi) of the epicentre. It was the deadliest earthquake in the immediate area since a Ms 6.6 event occurred in Yadong County on 20 November 1980. That earthquake had an epicenter 176 km (109 mi) away and killed 3 people in the county. The 7 January 2025 earthquake was also the largest in the area since a Ms 7.1 struck 171 km (106 mi) to the south on 26 April 2015.[23]
Impact
The earthquake killed at least 126 people and wounded 338,[24] including 19 in serious condition.[25] More than 27,200 buildings were damaged and 3,612 homes collapsed.[25][26][27] Local officials attributed the casualties to the collapse of poorly constructed traditional buildings.[28] In some villages, 80 to 90 percent of homes were razed.[29]
On 8 January, rescuers said an unknown number of people remained missing as Chinese officials had not provided a figure.[30] The following day, officials said that any remaining missing persons would have likely died of hypothermia beneath the rubble of destroyed homes.[31] Fatalities occurred in Tingri, Lhatse and Sa'gya Counties. More than 1,000 homes collapsed in Tingri County,[32] and five sections of national and provincial roads were damaged by landslides, collapses and subsidence.[33] Altogether, 206 villages across 26 townships in five counties were affected.[25] In Dramtso, 100 died,[34] including two nuns due to a convent collapse[35] and 30 more in Gurong village,[34] where all homes were damaged, half of them severely.[36] In Lhatse County, debris covered streets and vehicles, and a hotel was damaged.[37][38] Forty monasteries were damaged in the region, eight of them severely.[39] More than 170 China Mobile stations were disabled by the earthquake, although mobile services were restored nine hours later.[40] Cracks were discovered in five hydropower dams after they were inspected, and three were drained. At one dam in Tingri County, a tilted wall prompted 1,500 residents across six villages to evacuate.[41]
In Nepal, 13 people were injured, including 11 in Bara, and one each from Kavrepalanchok and Kathmandu. Two homes were destroyed, and 12 others and a police station were damaged across the country.[42][43][44] Near the base camp of Mount Everest, a climber on the mountain's Nepalese side saw avalanches.[30] In Bihar, India, several homes were slightly damaged in Samastipur district.[45] In Bhutan, two avalanches occurred above the Bechung glacier on a mountain in Lunana.[46]
On 13 January, two aftershocks measuring Ms 4.9 and Ms 5.0 caused some houses to collapse in Tingri County.[18]
Response
Firefighters and rescuers at the earthquake rescue site in Shigatse
Following the earthquake, more than 14,000 rescue personnel,[49] 340 medical workers,[50] 75 vehicles, four search dogs and 7,030 sets of equipment were dispatched to the epicentre.[51] The China Meteorological Administration issued a level-three emergency alert for the area.[52] To prevent further casualties during potential aftershocks, residents were evacuated. Local officials also allocated resources from the transport, water and village administrative departments to aid in rescue efforts.[53] The State Council's Earthquake Relief Command [zh] and the Ministry of Emergency Management, in conjunction with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, distributed 22,000 units of centralised relief supplies, including cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts, and folding beds, as well as specialised relief materials for high-cold and high-altitude regions to the affected areas.[54] The national air force also participated in rescue efforts and sent drones to the area.[55] Air cargo, medical services, ground forces, and helicopters of the Western Theater Command Air Force were deployed.[56]
Temperatures in the area at the time of the earthquake were estimated to have been −8 °C (18 °F), and were expected to fall to −16 °C (3 °F) by night.[55] The Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army was also mobilised to assist in relief efforts.[57] The China Center for Resources Satellite Data and Application deployed eight satellites to monitor the area.[58] The Mount Qomolangma scenic area was temporarily closed and 530 visitors were evacuated.[59][60]
Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, "ordered all-out rescue efforts". He urged the relevant bodies to treat the injured, repair damaged infrastructure, and relocate those displaced.[61] The Chinese government said it would allocate 100 million yuan ($13.6 million) for disaster relief.[26] In Nepal, security forces were deployed to areas affected by the earthquake.[62]
At 14:00 on 7 January, 30 officers and soldiers from the People's Armed Police Tibet Contingent arrived in the earthquake-affected region of Shigatse, while 359 other officers and soldiers hastened to the disaster zone.[63][64] By the evening, China Central Television reported that more than 400 people were rescued, 14 housing areas were established, and at least 30,400 were relocated. All damaged roads were also reopened.[65] The initial consignment of over 5,800 cotton tents, garments, quilts, and other central relief supplies has reached the earthquake-affected regions of Tingri County, while the remaining more than 16,000 central relief items arrived in the disaster-impacted areas on 8 January.[66] More than 748,000 tonnes of food aid were also delivered.[67]
On 9 January, authorities concluded the first round of the search while prioritizing the displaced,[68] which grew to 61,500 people.[25] Missing numbers were expected but unknown, but experts believed that the chances of survival for those still trapped in the high-elevation and harsh environment were very slim after 48 hours due to hypothermia. The second round of the search was initiated on 9 January.[68] By 16 January, at least 5,152 makeshift houses had been built to shelter displaced residents. Authorities opened the La'ang Reservoir in Changsuo Township in Tingri County as a precaution, resulting in the evacuation of 1,500 people from six villages downstream.[69]
Reactions
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, said he was "deeply saddened" over the earthquake and offered prayers for the victims.[70] He held a memorial service for the victims in India's Karnataka state on 9 January,[71] while members of the Tibetan community also held a candle-light vigil in Dharamsala.[28]AI-generated images circulated on Chinese social media, and one netizen from Qinghai was placed in administrative detention for spreading AI image misinformation.[72] The Beijing-recognized 11th Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, held a donation drive with around 900 monks from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse that raised nearly 1.5 million yuan ($208,660).[73]
Dawa Tsering [zh] Director of Tibet Policy Institute speaking to Voice of America, raised doubts about the number of casualties. According to Tsering, national and local government officials underreported and suppressed information from local residents, fearing punishments over sharing knowledge. Earthquake survivors also feared consequences if they spoke out. The latest casualty update was issued on 8 January and no data about missing persons were available. Similarly, Zeng Jianyuan at the Taiwan Association for Human Rights said there are strict communication control and censorship in Tibet, and information may be distorted.[74] On 9 January, the Tibetan Review noted the unchanged casualty figures, and the State Council Information Office in China did not respond to queries by Reuters regarding the death toll.[75] In Estonia, the Riigikogu called for transparency when sharing information among humanitarian groups and journalists.[76] On 15 January, Chinese state media said authorities investigated and punished 21 Tibetans for allegedly posting false information on the death toll; three were punished for posting that the death toll in quake-hit areas was more than 200.[39]
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^ abcd"西藏強震災民增至6.15萬 3612間房屋倒塌" [Tibet earthquake victims increase to 61500, 3612 houses collapsed]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 9 January 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
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^Jiexi, Su (7 January 2024). "中国气象局启动地震灾害气象服务三级应急响应" [China Meteorological Administration launches Level 3 emergency response for earthquake disaster meteorological services]. China Meteorological Administration (in Chinese). Retrieved 7 January 2025.
^"西部战区空军无人机起飞！赴震中勘察情况" [Western Theater Command Air Force drone takes off to investigate the epicenter]. Xinhua News Agency (in Chinese). 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
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