5.5-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Eastern Tibet; 20,000 Evacuated

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Thewo County in eastern Tibet (Gansu Province), forcing the urgent evacuation of over 20,000 residents. While no casualties have been reported, the tremor caused structural damage across 49 Tibetan villages, with cracks appearing in numerous buildings. Chinese authorities immediately activated a Level IV emergency response, deploying hundreds of police and fire personnel, along with search dogs, to the affected zone. The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10 km, shaking the region violently enough to send residents rushing into public squares.