A magnitude 5 earthquake struck northern Tibet around midnight on Thursday, as the region was still dealing with the effects of a severe glacier collapse and sudden flooding. Germany’s Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) confirmed the tremor and said its origin was about 10 kilometres below the surface.

According to GFZ, the epicentre was several hundred miles north of areas near the Nepal-China border. The quake followed another earthquake of magnitude 4.7 that hit Tibet’s Nagqu area on Wednesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center, with Xinhua confirming that report.

Authorities are also concerned that a naturally formed barrier lake in Tibet could breach. China has activated a level-four flood response to prepare for rising water. The Ministry of Water Resources instructed local authorities to monitor the lake’s water level and rainfall around the clock, while an expert team was sent to Gyirong County to assess conditions and provide necessary support.