The China Earthquake Administration confirmed on Monday the identification of the first surface rupture zone from the magnitude-7.0 Baqen earthquake, which struck Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Sunday. A field team located the rupture zone approximately 15 kilometers east of the epicenter and 20 kilometers from Maru Township.
Rupture Zone Mapped
The investigation found that the earthquake was characterized primarily by normal faulting, accompanied by some left-lateral strike-slip movement. The rupture surface was nearly vertical, with a maximum depth of 3.5 meters and left-lateral displacement of 0.9 meters. The rupture zone measured 8 to 30 meters in width and extended into snow-covered mountains to the north and south, according to the administration.
Geological Damage Reported
Investigators identified multiple instances of soil liquefaction and ground fissures in the affected area, indicating that the earthquake had caused geological damage over a relatively wide area. The administration noted that the damage occurred across a zone of significant width and depth.
Aftershock Activity Continues
As of Monday morning, 2,054 aftershocks had been recorded following the main quake, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The strongest aftershock measured magnitude-5.7, with its epicenter 19 kilometers from that of the main quake. No aftershocks of magnitude-6.0 or above had been recorded, and 10 aftershocks measured between magnitude-4.0 and -4.9.
Geological Response Activated
The Ministry of Natural Resources has activated a Level III geological disaster response and sent additional experts to the earthquake-hit area to assess potential secondary geological hazards with local teams. Remote-sensing analysis of 80 glacial lakes and 145 glaciers within 50 kilometers of the affected area found that the earthquake had limited overall impacts on them, with no earthquake-triggered glacial lake outburst disasters detected so far.
Rescue And Relief Operations
Rescue and relief operations are progressing steadily to ensure basic food and water supplies and support the orderly resumption of normal life and production in affected areas. The Chinese People’s Armed Police Force Xizang Corps having searched 475 households across seven villages in the Maru Township area as of 3 pm Sunday and providing medical assistance. Rescue workers continue to provide hot meals and drinking water to affected residents, meeting their basic needs and supporting the orderly restoration of normal life and production in the earthquake-hit areas. Gangqie Township, one of the areas hit hardest by the earthquake, is stepping up efforts to relocate affected residents and distribute cold-weather supplies. Seventeen temporary shelters have accommodated more than 900 households. At a temporary shelter in a village in Gangqie Township, 200 prefabricated houses are being built to ensure that affected residents can move in as soon as possible.
Local authorities have also deployed emergency teams to inspect buildings, identify safety hazards and classify damaged homes, providing a basis for future repairs and reconstruction. Peng Jie, a volunteer from South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region who traveled for two nights and three days to reach the earthquake-hit area in Xizang, told the Global Times on Monday that he arrived on Sunday and spent the night in his own tent, enduring temperatures of around -10C. With the initial search-and-rescue operations largely completed, relief efforts have shifted toward providing shelter and daily necessities for affected residents. Peng said he hopes to provide psychological support to survivors, many of whom may be struggling with anxiety over aftershocks or the loss of family members. He plans to share practical safety advice on how to respond to aftershocks. Through one-on-one conversations and emotional support, he hopes to help affected residents overcome their fears and regain confidence.
Sources
- Follow-up investigation identifies surface rupture zone from magnitude-7.0 Baqen earthquake for the first time
- 2,054 aftershocks recorded after magnitude-7.0 earthquake in Baqen as geo-analysis on 80 glacial lakes and 145 glaciers unfolds
- Earthquake Today: Latest Earthquake today news, Videos of Earthquake today – The Economic Times
Photo: European Space Agency (CC BY-SA 3.0 igo)
