The Tibetan plateau is known to be prone to heavy earthquakes as it sits right over the place where the tectonic Eurasian and Indian plates meet, often colliding with huge force
At least 16 people were killed and 65 others injured after a magnitude seven earthquake struck Baqen County of Nagqu City in China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the city's earthquake relief headquarters said.
The powerful earthquake that struck around 10:33 pm on Thursday prompted the regional disaster prevention, reduction and relief committee to activate a Level III emergency response for natural disaster relief on Friday.
Eleven of the injured were in serious condition, while others sustained minor injuries. More than 330 houses collapsed or were damaged.
The damage caused by the quake is being further evaluated, and disaster relief work is underway, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday from provincial capital Lhasa.