Magnitude 7 Earthquake Strikes Northern Tibet's Nagqu Region

A major earthquake struck China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Thursday, with the epicenter located in a county in Nagqu, northern Tibet, at approximately 10:33 p.m. local time. The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, which typically amplifies surface shaking and the potential for damage.

Reported magnitudes varied slightly across agencies: China's official Xinhua news agency initially put the magnitude at around 6.7, the China Earthquake Networks Center confirmed a magnitude of 7, and Germany's GFZ seismological center recorded it at 7.05. Such differences between agencies are common in the immediate aftermath of a significant seismic event as data is refined.