Five critically injured survivors of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Baqen County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday are recovering steadily after receiving round-the-clock care in local hospitals.
The quake struck Baqen County at 22:33 Beijing time (14:33 GMT) on Thursday, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 70 others, according to local officials. The five were among the most critically hurt.
One of them, a female villager from Maru Township near the epicenter, was rushed to the People's Hospital of Xizang Autonomous Region in Lhasa on Friday evening after doctors at a county-level hospital diagnosed multiple fractures and recommended her transfer to a higher-level facility.
She was brought in shortly before 20:00 Friday evening, and the hospital immediately activated its emergency trauma response, assembling a multidisciplinary team that included specialists from a Peking University Third Hospital medical aid team. The doctors convened overnight for consultation.
"Two of her ribs are clearly dislocated, with one separated from its original position. This requires surgery. The external force must have been quite severe for the trauma to reach this extent," said Jin Liang, a thoracic surgeon from the Peking University Third Hospital, during the consultation.
The expert panel approved a surgical plan and performed three procedures on the patient's fractured right ribs and thoracic cavity that night. The survivor remains under close monitoring, with rehabilitation support to follow for her full recovery.
"A total of five injured people were transferred, and our hospital received the first one. We put together a dedicated team and assessed that the patient's vital signs were relatively stable. We will actively follow up on her treatment," said Lin Guoying, vice president of the People's Hospital of Xizang Autonomous Region.
The other four critically injured survivors from Baqen County were transferred the same evening to the Lhasa People's Hospital and the Nagqu People's Hospital. All are reported to be in stable condition and are receiving treatment.
According to local officials, more than 5,000 personnel have been deployed to Baqen's disaster relief frontlines, organized into teams handling search and rescue, medical treatment, temporary shelter and essential supplies.
5 critically injured Xizang quake survivors recovering steadily after emergency care
