A powerful earthquake that struck China’s Tibet region on Tuesday has left at least 95 people dead and caused widespread destruction, collapsing numerous buildings.
The earthquake’s impact was also felt in neighboring Nepal and parts of India.
According to footage from China’s state broadcaster CCTV, entire houses were demolished, with walls torn apart.
Rescue teams worked tirelessly through the debris, providing emergency aid and thick blankets to locals in subzero temperatures.
The earthquake, measuring a magnitude of 6.8 according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) and 7.1 by the US Geological Survey, hit Tingri County, located about 80 kilometers north of Mount Everest.
The tremor struck at around 9:00 am on Tuesday. Tingri is a rural and high-altitude region with a population of around 62,000.
One local, Sangji Dangzhi, whose supermarket was damaged, described the situation as “very serious.”
He said, “Here the houses are made from dirt, so when the earthquake came, lots of houses collapsed.”
Ambulances were reported to be taking injured people to hospitals throughout the day.
As of 3:00 pm, official reports confirmed 95 deaths and 130 injuries, with over 1,000 homes affected.
CCTV surveillance footage from a store in the area captured scenes of people running for safety as the shelves shook violently, causing objects to fall.
The area of Tingri, which has less infrastructure development compared to Tibet’s capital Lhasa, is primarily populated with traditional homes made of stone, mud bricks, and wooden beams.
Many of these buildings were destroyed during the quake.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out search and rescue efforts” to minimize further casualties and to provide shelter and warmth to affected residents.
Temperatures in the region are expected to drop to minus 16 degrees Celsius overnight, exacerbating the hardship for survivors.
To aid the recovery, more than 3,400 rescue workers and 340 medical staff have been mobilized. In addition, the Chinese government has sent tents, quilts, and other cold-weather supplies to assist those affected.
Tingri is located in the Shigatse prefecture, a historically significant area in Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama expressed his sadness over the tragedy, offering prayers for the victims and wishing for the swift recovery of those injured.
International leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, extended their condolences, sharing in the grief of those affected by the disaster.
The earthquake was also felt across the border in Nepal, especially in areas near Mount Everest.
Although the tremors were strong in the region, no significant damage or fatalities have been reported there.
However, security forces have been deployed to monitor the situation.
In neighboring India, tremors were felt in Bihar state, though no injuries were reported.
This earthquake marks the strongest recorded in the region in the last five years.
Authorities have confirmed that this tremor is the deadliest earthquake to hit Tibet since 2014, when more than 600 people were killed in Yunnan province. It also follows a deadly quake in Gansu province in December 2023 that left 148 people dead and displaced thousands.
Rescue and relief efforts continue as authorities work to provide aid and support to the survivors.
