AT LEAST 95 people were killed and many buildings collapsed after a powerful earthquake struck China's Tibet region on Tuesday, state media reported. The tremors were also felt in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and parts of India.
Videos shared by state broadcaster CCTV showed buildings with walls torn apart and rubble strewn across the ground. Rescue workers were seen helping locals and providing thick blankets to keep them warm in freezing conditions.
The earthquake, which struck Dingri County near the Nepal border, was recorded at a magnitude of 6.8 by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The US Geological Survey reported it as 7.1 magnitude. It hit at 9.05 am (0105 GMT).
"A total of 95 people have been confirmed dead and 130 others injured," Xinhua news agency said.
Over 1,000 houses have been damaged to varying degrees, according to local authorities.
State broadcaster CCTV said, "Many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed."
Chinese president Xi Jinping urged full-scale search and rescue efforts, emphasising the need to minimise casualties, ensure safety, and provide winter relief to affected residents, CCTV reported.
Temperatures in Dingri are expected to drop to minus 18 degrees Celsius by evening, according to the China Meteorological Administration. Disaster relief supplies, including cotton tents and quilts, have been sent to affected areas.
The high-altitude region, home to around 62,000 people, lies on the Chinese side of Mount Everest. According to CENC, the earthquake was the strongest in a 200-kilometre radius in the past five years.
Tremors in Nepal and India
The quake was also felt in areas around Lobuche in Nepal, near Everest. "It shook quite strongly here, everyone is awake," said Jagat Prasad Bhusal, a government official in Nepal’s Namche region.
Nepal home minister spokesman Rishi Ram Tiwari said no damage or deaths had been reported in Nepal, though security forces were deployed to affected areas.
Tremors were reported in India’s Bihar state, but no injuries were recorded.
Earthquakes are common in the Himalayan region. In 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people in Nepal.
(With inputs from AFP)
