An earthquake in Tibet has left 16 people dead, prompting China’s Xi Jinping to order urgent relief efforts and call for rescue operations adapted to the conditions in the affected area.

Xi described the disaster zone as a high-altitude area experiencing cold weather. He urged close monitoring of seismic activity and changes in the weather, saying those conditions should guide the rescue response.

His instructions also called for measures to prevent secondary disasters. That places the risk of further hazards alongside the immediate relief effort, with both seismic and weather monitoring identified as priorities for those conducting rescue operations.

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The supplied source’s headline gives a death toll of 16, but the material provides no figures for injuries, damage or the scale of the rescue deployment. It also does not specify the earthquake’s magnitude or the location of the affected communities within Tibet.

Editor’s note: The supplied source is an abbreviated excerpt.