Xi orders all-out rescue work in Xizang

President Xi Jinping has urged all-out search and rescue efforts for the missing and prompt medical treatment for the injured, in order to minimize casualties after a magnitude 7 earthquake rocked Drachen county in Nagchu, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region.

The quake, which struck at 10:33 pm on Thursday at a depth of 10 kilometers, killed 16 people, injured at least 76, and damaged or flattened 339 houses, with search for survivors continuing on Friday.

In an instruction issued on Friday morning, Xi noted that the affected county is at a high altitude with low temperatures, emphasizing the need to closely monitor seismic activity and weather conditions to prevent secondary disasters.

It is imperative to dispatch emergency rescue supplies, properly accommodate the affected residents, and repair damaged infrastructure as quickly as possible to safeguard people's lives and property, Xi said.

In a separate instruction, Premier Li Qiang called for swift assessment of the situation. Given the county's high altitude and the frequent aftershocks, Li urged the Ministry of Emergency Management and the China Earthquake Administration, together with relevant authorities, to strengthen seismic monitoring and forecasting, and step up disaster prevention and response efforts.