At least 16 killed in Xizang earthquake: local emergency command

At least 16 people have been killed and 11 seriously injured as of 05:20 on Friday after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday night, according to Nagqu City's earthquake relief headquarters.

Local rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the epicenter of the quake in Baqeng County in Xizang’s Nagqu City, with an advance team from the Baqen County Fire and Rescue Brigade, consisting of eight personnel and two vehicles, successfully rescuing one trapped survivor after arriving at the scene in the early hours of Friday.

The Xizang Fire and Rescue Corps immediately mobilized 347 rescue personnel, 82 fire vehicles, and 15 search-and-rescue dogs, along with over 4,200 pieces of equipment and more than 9,400 items of logistical support supplies, to the quake zone.

Public security departments in Xizang also dispatched over 300 police officers to assist emergency rescue and relief operations. The police contingent will help evacuate residents to safe areas, assess structural damage to buildings, and ensure security in affected areas.

The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 22:33 on Thursday at a depth of 10km, was monitored at 32.40 degrees north latitude and 93.79 degrees east longitude, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

Xizang has activated a Level-II earthquake disaster emergency response, according to the regional emergency command center.

Maru Township, at the epicenter of the earthquake, is about 70 km from the county seat.

Lhawang Dagpo, deputy head of the township, said there had been reports of collapsed houses in Maru, and that rescue and relief operations were underway in villages across the township.

He added that the tremor was clearly felt at the township government office, where the walls of the office building sustained cracks.

Strong shaking was reported in the county seat of Baqen, where power was cut off and telecommunications services were disrupted.

Tremors were also felt in other parts of Xizang, including Qamdo and Nyingchi.

The office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV emergency response after the earthquake, sending a work team to the affected areas to guide emergency response and disaster relief work, according to the ministry.

A 4.3-magnitude aftershock was felt in Zadoi County in Qinghai Province, which borders Baqen County, at 23:12 on Thursday, according to CENC.

Strong tremors were felt in townships along the border between the two counties, with cracks appearing in some houses. No building collapses or casualties have been confirmed in these areas.

At least 16 killed in Xizang earthquake: local emergency command

The ultimate goal of UN Security Council reform is to change the situation where developed countries are over-represented, a Chinese envoy said Thursday.

Security Council reform must focus on enhancing the representation and voice of developing countries and small and medium-sized countries with independent foreign policies, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at a UN General Assembly meeting on Security Council reform.

"The Security Council, as the core of the collective security mechanism, must reflect the realities of international politics and give more developing countries and small and medium-sized countries with independent foreign policies the opportunity to take part in Security Council decision-making. In particular, we must redress the historical injustice suffered by Africa and make priority and special arrangements for Africa's demands. The ultimate goal is to change the situation where the composition of the Security Council is imbalanced between the North and the South, where a single bloc has long dominated, and where developed countries are over-represented," Fu noted.

Security Council reform is a systemic project. Before the parties reach a clear consensus, any attempt to hastily adopt a "consolidated model", push for the launch of text-based negotiations, or even impose artificial timelines and take a "step-by-step" or "piecemeal" approach will only aggravate differences and disputes among the parties, which is not conducive to the long-term development of the United Nations and the common interests of member states, he said.

He also emphasized that the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) is the only legitimate platform for member states to discuss Security Council reform, and its role is irreplaceable. China supports all parties in continuing dialogue and consultation on this platform to build consensus, and firmly opposes any attempt to launch an alternative platform, he said.

Within the IGN framework, China stands ready to continue to work with all parties, respect one another, and engage in candid exchanges and consultations on an equal footing, to ensure that Security Council reform moves in a direction conducive to the common interests of member states and the sound development of the United Nations' cause, and to make positive contributions to building a more just and equitable global governance system, said Fu.

UN Security Council reform should address over-representation of developed countries: Chinese envoy