A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck Qinghai while rescue operations continued after Tibet's deadly tremor. The fresh jolt highlights persistent seismic risks across the tectonically active Tibetan Plateau.Stock photo used for illustrationBeijing/lhasa,Oct 24, 2026 17:56 ISTA 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck China's Qinghai province on Saturday, two days after a powerful 7.0-magnitude quake in neighbouring Tibet killed 16 people and injured 76, news agency Press Trust of India reported.There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the latest earthquake.
Rescue, relief and resettlement operations continued in areas affected by Thursday's quake in Tibet, where 12,489 residents have been evacuated.Saturday's earthquake struck Zadoi County in northwestern China's Qinghai province at 4.39 pm Beijing time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre. The epicentre was at a depth of 10 kilometres and was located at 32.54 degrees north latitude and 93.97 degrees east longitude.The Tibetan Plateau is prone to powerful earthquakes because it lies in a region where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, causing significant seismic activity.
The 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu city of the Tibet Autonomous Region at 10.33 pm local time on Thursday. The affected area has since recorded 834 aftershocks, including eight with magnitudes ranging from 4.0 to 4.9.All 76 injured people were receiving medical treatment, according to Xinhua news agency.
Five of the 11 people initially classified as seriously injured had improved and were in a mild condition. China has deployed satellites and drones to provide emergency communication support and capture images of the affected area, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said on Friday, according to PTI.Relief supplies and rescue personnel continued to arrive in the affected areas.
More than 52,450 items or sets of disaster relief supplies have been sent to the earthquake zone, while over 2,500 rescue personnel are involved in relief operations.The supplies include 4,651 tents, 2,000 prefabricated houses, 11,772 folding beds, 5,715 quilts and other cold-weather necessities. Authorities have also established 35 temporary resettlement sites in the disaster zone.More than 1,600 personnel from Baqen County, 347 firefighters from the Nagqu fire and rescue detachment and 530 police officers from the Nagqu public security bureau have been deployed with vehicles and search-and-rescue dogs.
Medical treatment, public health services and measures to prevent disease outbreaks were proceeding in an orderly manner, according to the rescue headquarters.While no casualties or damage were immediately reported from Saturday's earthquake in Qinghai, rescue and relief work continued in neighbouring Tibet following Thursday's deadly quake.With PTI Inputs- Ends