Powerful earthquake hits Tibet killing 16 people, reports say

A magnitude seven earthquake has hit a mountainous region in Tibet, killing at least 16 people, according to Chinese state media reports.

The centre of the quake hit Baqên County in the Nagqu region on Thursday night, Xinhua reported, citing the local emergency management bureau. The county is 400km north-east of Tibet's capital, Lhasa.

Authorities have declared an emergency and deployed rescue teams to the affected area, where 32 others have also been injured.

More than 300 homes had collapsed in the affected area, local reports said, while power in the region had been mostly cut off.

Rockfall has forced roads in the region to close, making it more difficult for crews to access affected areas.

Tibet and Nepal were devastated by massive floods and landslides less than two months ago, unleashed by a glacier collapse, which killed at least 1,400 people. Hundreds of others are still reported missing.