Emergency response upgraded as rescue teams arrive in earthquake-stricken Xizang

By early Friday, rescue teams and relief supplies reached earthquake-hit Drachen county in Nagchu, Xizang autonomous region, as authorities upgraded the national earthquake emergency response to Level III, the third highest of the four-tier system, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Friday.

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the county at 10:33 pm on Thursday, killing 16 people and injuring 54.

A working team from the central government has been dispatched to the disaster area to guide and assist relief efforts.

The ministry has guided the Xizang autonomous region's emergency management department to send Wing Loong drones to the disaster area to assess the damage.

By 4:30 am on Friday, relief supplies allocated by authorities at the central, autonomous region, city, and county levels had arrived in the disaster area. The relief supplies comprised of 1,000 prefabricated housing units, about 3,200 tents, about 2,800 folding beds, and 100 mattresses, along with quilts, stoves, cotton clothing, overcoats, and Tibetan robes. Also included were four generators, 1,000 hand-crank solar flashlights, and 1,000 head-mounted outdoor lights.

By 6:30 am on Friday, 120 personnel and 27 vehicles had arrived in the disaster area. Another 230 personnel and 56 vehicles from the Xizang Fire and Rescue Corps were en route, having reached Nagchu.

The Red Cross Society of China has activated an emergency response on Friday, allocating 3,800 sets of relief supplies, including hygiene kits, heating stoves, cotton tents, windproof jackets, folding beds, and cotton quilts. It has also dispatched a working group to the disaster zones to guide local efforts in relocating affected residents.