Authorities activate emergency response, send support teams to Xizang after deadly quake

Multiple Chinese ministries have activated emergency response programs and dispatched work teams to support rescue operations after a deadly earthquake struck southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning.

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Dingri County in the city of Xigaze at 09:05 on Tuesday, with at least 126 people confirmed dead and 188 others injured, while rescue efforts are ongoing to locate possible survivors buried beneath the rubble.

Following the quake, China's National Disaster Reduction Commission raised the emergency response to Level II, the second highest in the country's four-tier system.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has also launched a Level II emergency response and dispatched a special team to offer guidance on the post-quake emergency assessment of buildings and municipal facilities, carry out rush repairs, and oversee the construction of temporary houses.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management have urgently allocated 100 million yuan (over 13.6 million U.S. dollars) from the central natural disaster relief fund to support Xizang in its search and rescue operations, the relocation of affected residents, and the reconstruction of damaged houses.

The State Grid Tibet Electric Power Company has sent its first batch of personnel, including six vehicles and disaster relief supplies to the quake-hit zones to conduct power restoration efforts.

Further aid has come from the Red Cross Society of China, which has swiftly allocated 4,600 disaster relief supplies, including tents, quilts, thermal jackets, and folding beds, helping in the smooth relocation and basic living conditions of those impacted.

It also dispatched a work team and rescue personnel to conduct on-site assessments of the disaster zones on Tuesday afternoon and help carry out rescue and relief work.

The National Health Commission has also deployed experts from Peking Union Medical College Hospital and West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The commission has also called on national-level medical emergency response teams from neighboring provinces and regions to make preparations to join the rescue operations as needed.

A total of 19 aftershocks with a magnitude of 3.0 or higher have been recorded as of 17:00 on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Natural Resources had earlier on Tuesday afternoon raised the geological disaster defense response level, and also dispatched a work team to offer guidance on conducting secondary geological disaster assessments and providing emergency technical support in the quake-affected areas.

The China Railway Qinghai-Xizang Group promptly closed specific railway lines and halted some trains following the earthquake.

It also coordinated departments responsible for infrastructure, electrical systems, power supply, and construction to conduct a thorough inspection of facilities, including railway tracks, bridges, tunnels, and electrical systems in the affected areas. This effort is aimed at mitigating the earthquake's impact on railway operations and ensuring the safety of train services.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Natural Resources has released the first remote sensing image of the earthquake in Dingri County. The image shows that the epicenter is only around 2.5 kilometers away from the local government offices in Tsogo Township, with two other townships and several villages in the vicinity, with a relatively dense population.

From the image, it can be seen that most of the Tsogo Lake is still frozen, indicating low temperatures in the region, which may pose further difficulties for the post-disaster relief work and the resettlement of affected people.

The ministry has also released the first three-dimensional topographical video of the earthquake. It shows residential settlements in the earthquake-affected areas of Dingri County being situated in the valleys, with some houses near the epicenter sustaining damage.

Footage from surveillance cameras at a photovoltaic power station situated just over 100 kilometers from the epicenter revealed significant swaying of facilities at the moment the quake struck. However, both indoor and outdoor equipment is said to be functioning normally and remains undamaged.

Personnel at the power station actively coordinated the safe relocation of local farmers and herdsmen in the surrounding areas, with all those located in the vicinity of the station having been been safely relocated with no casualties reported.

In addition, surveillance footage from eight gas stations located within a 100-kilometer radius of the epicenter showed goods falling from shelves, ceilings caving in, and cracks appearing on some walls, while some power outages were also experienced.

Despite these incidents, no casualties have been reported at the gas stations. Equipment and facilities are operating as usual, and there are ample fuel supplies in stock.

Authorities activate emergency response, send support teams to Xizang after deadly quake

The U.S. tariff is set to have a negative impact on cross-border trade between Mexico and the United States, driving up logistics costs and posing broader economic risks, said an industry expert and transport workers.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," imposing a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" and higher rates on certain trading partners.

For Canada and Mexico, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) compliant goods will continue to see a 0 percent tariff, non-USMCA compliant goods will see a 25 percent tariff, and non-USMCA compliant energy and potash will see a 10 percent tariff, according to the White House.

A document released earlier by the White House stated that Trump had signed a proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports of automobiles and certain auto parts, citing "a critical threat to U.S. national security." The measure took effect on Wednesday, with tariff collection beginning on Thursday.

According to official statistics from the Mexican government, from November 2023 to the end of 2024, goods worth a total of 350 million U.S. dollars were exported by land from Mexico's northern border to the U.S., including about 77 million U.S. dollars worth of goods transported northward from Ciudad Juarez via road and rail to the North American market, primarily consisting of fully assembled automobiles and auto parts.

Since February, the U.S. has repeatedly shifted its stance on tariff measures, leaving many enterprises uncertain and fueling anxiety among drivers traveling between the two countries.

"I have been in this business for eight years. Recently, many companies have suspended deliveries, and many people are waiting to see if prices will rise," said a truck driver.

"I feel uncertain about the future, and imposing tariffs is actually harmful to both the U.S. and our country," said another truck driver.

Manuel Sotelo, Vice President of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (CANACAR) in Northern Mexico, stated that U.S. tariffs on imported cars would have a notable impact on Mexico's vehicle and spare parts transportation, leading to a slight increase in logistics costs for enterprises. However, the uncertainty brought by tariff policies would pose a more significant threat to the economies of both Mexico and the U.S.

"I believe logistics costs will likely rise by about 10 to 15 percent. Mexico is the largest trading partner of the U.S., and also the country that purchases the most goods from the U.S. Any form of tariffs and the resulting cost increases will ultimately lead to inflation, impacting both economies," said Sotelo.

US tariff hurts Mexico-US trade, raises costs, economic risks: Mexican insiders