Earthquake in Tibet kills 16 people and destroys hundreds of homes

A powerful earthquake hit Tibet on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people. The quake measured magnitude 7 and struck at 10:33 p.m. local time. The epicenter was about 191 kilometres from Nagqu, a city more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa, Tibet's capital. The area has few people living there and sits at high altitude. At least 54 people were hurt, and between 300 and 339 homes fell down. Power was cut off across much of the region. Scientists measured the quake's depth at either 10 or 18 kilometres, depending on the source. Rescue teams are working in difficult mountain terrain. This was the strongest earthquake to hit the region in five years.