As of 1 p.m. on Friday, 16 people had been killed and 76 others injured after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, at 10:33 p.m. Thursday, according to local authorities.

The China Earthquake Administration has activated a Level-III emergency response to the quake. More than 300 houses have collapsed. The damage caused by the quake is being further assessed, and disaster relief work is underway.

Over 300 police officers have been dispatched to the epicenter for relief work, while the regional fire and rescue corps has mobilized 347 personnel to the affected areas.