A powerful earthquake struck China’s remote Tibet region on Tuesday, killing at least 53 people and causing widespread destruction, according to state media. The 6.8-magnitude tremor, reported by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), devastated Dingri County near the Nepal border, collapsing buildings and injuring 62 people. The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.1 magnitude.
Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed collapsed homes, torn-apart walls, and rubble-strewn streets. Rescue teams were seen navigating the debris, distributing blankets to keep locals warm amid freezing temperatures, which were expected to drop to minus 18°C (0°F) overnight.
The disaster also triggered panic in neighbouring Nepal and parts of India, with tremors felt in Kathmandu and Bihar. In Nepal’s Namche region, near Everest, residents reported strong shaking, but no casualties or damages were confirmed.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an intensified rescue effort to minimise casualties and ensure the safety and warmth of affected residents through the harsh winter. Over 1,000 homes sustained varying degrees of damage, with central authorities dispatching disaster relief supplies, including cotton tents and quilts.
Dingri, a high-altitude area home to about 62,000 residents, lies on the Chinese side of Mount Everest. While earthquakes are common in the region, Tuesday’s quake was the strongest recorded within 200 kilometres in five years.
The region has seen similar tragedies in recent years, including a December 2023 quake in northwest China that killed 148 people and a 2015 Nepal quake that left nearly 9,000 dead.
AFP
