Rescue efforts continue after M7.0 quake in China's Xizang

Rescue and relief efforts continue after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Baqen County of the city of Nagqu in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, local authorities said Saturday.

The earthquake, which struck at 10:33 p.m. on Thursday, has left 16 people dead and 76 others injured. The quake has also damaged or destroyed 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds.

As of 11 a.m. Saturday, all 76 injured people were receiving timely medical treatment, with five of the 11 people initially classified as seriously injured having improved to mild conditions, according to the local emergency command headquarters.

Meanwhile, relief supplies and rescue personnel continue to arrive in the affected areas. As of 11 a.m. Saturday, 52,450 items or sets of disaster relief supplies had been sent to the quake zone, with more than 2,500 rescue personnel engaged 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. A large Wing Loong unmanned aerial vehicle has also arrived at the site.

Authorities have 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, alongside vehicles and search-and-rescue dogs.

Medical treatment and public health and epidemic prevention efforts are proceeding in an orderly manner, according to the headquarters.

As of 9:45 a.m. Saturday, the headquarters said 834 aftershocks had been recorded in the affected areas, including eight measuring 4.0 to 4.9 in magnitude and 31 measuring 3.0 to 3.9.