Pakistan

Islamabad, October 23, 2026. The Pakistani press reports on the magnitude 7 earthquake that occurred on Thursday at 22:33 local time near Nagqu, in northern Tibet, almost entirely from Xinhua, CCTV, and Reuters dispatches. Geo News and Business Recorder reproduce Xinhua's initial toll, citing Nagqu's emergency management office: 16 dead and 32 injured, including 11 in critical condition at 2:25 Friday. Daily Times mentions 54 injured, The Express Tribune 65 according to CCTV: the numbers vary from one title to another as updates are released.

The account highlights the scale of China's mobilization. According to The Express Tribune, Beijing has ordered an "all-out" relief effort, and CCTV images show rescuers equipped with headlamps in more than 300 collapsed houses. Daily Times specifies that 339 homes and 20 animal shelters have collapsed, that more than 1,600 rescuers have been deployed, and that thousands of tents, prefabricated houses, and folding beds have been transported.

The terrain conditions occupy an important place. Business Recorder and Geo indicate that the average altitude around the epicenter reaches approximately 4,864 meters, about 400 kilometers from Lhasa. Daily Times counts at least seven strong aftershocks of magnitude 4.3 to 5.2, landslides that have closed National Highway 317, suspended trains, and damaged communications. The Express Tribune reports residents sleeping in tents or in their cars, fearing to return home.

The diplomatic proximity dimension is evident in The Express Tribune, which headlines the condolences of President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz, expressing their "deep grief" over the human losses. This reflex reflects the close relationship between Islamabad and Beijing.

The headlines put the event into China's seismic history: Geo recalls the January 2025 earthquake in Tingri (at least 126 dead), Business Recorder that of Yushu in 2010 (at least 2,698 dead). The Express Tribune finally notes that Tibet is largely inaccessible to foreign journalists and that Chinese authorities remain the only official source of information.