Magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes the Tibetan Plateau in China, USGS says
This story has been updated: Update: Magnitude 5.9 quake strikes near Tibet's Oct. 22 epicenter; China puts the earlier quake's toll at 16 dead Oct. 25, 2026
Oct. 22, 2026 — A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Tibetan Plateau in China at 14:33 UTC on Oct. 22 (10:33 p.m. local time), about 190 km east-northeast of Nagqu, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake came from normal faulting within the plateau, and USGS models show the fault slipped over an area roughly 60 to 75 km long.
USGS's PAGER system, a model rather than a count, estimates economic losses at its orange level, the second-highest of four, and fatalities at its yellow level, saying some fatalities are possible. About 110,000 people may have felt moderate to severe shaking, USGS estimated.
Six aftershocks of magnitude 4.3 or larger had been recorded by 18:06 UTC, the largest a magnitude 5.2, and USGS said more may follow. In 2010, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake about 270 km to the east-northeast killed more than 2,500 people, according to USGS.
The wall: Chinese official reports of casualties and damage were not included, and PAGER figures are model estimates. Which province-level unit holds the epicenter is not settled.
Tier: Confirmed (based on the USGS earthquake record (reviewed), as of 19:37 UTC on Oct. 22)
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