A devastating earthquake struck the high-altitude region of China’s Tibet on Tuesday, killing at least 95 people and injuring 130 others.
The quake, which caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure, was also felt in neighbouring Nepal and parts of India.
The earthquake hit Tingri County near the China-Nepal border at 9:05 am local time. The China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) recorded the magnitude as 6.8, while the US Geological Survey reported it as 7.1.
The epicentre was located approximately 75 kilometres northeast of Mount Everest, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, which intensified its impact.
Tingri County, home to around 62,000 people, experienced severe tremors, with many buildings collapsing. Temperatures in the area were reported to be as low as -8°C, dropping to -18°C at night, compounding the challenges faced by survivors and rescue teams.
State media confirmed that the earthquake resulted in 95 deaths and 130 injuries. Over 1,000 homes were damaged, leaving many residents vulnerable in freezing conditions.
Video footage aired by China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed rescue workers navigating through rubble and distributing blankets to keep survivors warm.
In the town of Lhatse, debris was scattered across streets, and buildings were heavily damaged. Surveillance footage captured moments of chaos as shelves toppled in stores, sending items tumbling to the ground.
Sangji Dangzhi, a resident of Tingri County, described the situation as dire, with ambulances shuttling injured individuals to hospitals throughout the day. “Here the houses are made from dirt, so when the earthquake came, lots of houses collapsed,” he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all-out search and rescue efforts” to minimise casualties and ensure affected residents are safe and warm through the harsh winter. Disaster relief supplies, including cotton tents, quilts, and other essentials for high-altitude regions, were dispatched to the affected areas.
Local authorities are continuing to assess the damage and coordinate relief operations, while rescue teams work tirelessly to locate survivors in the rubble.
The quake’s tremors were felt in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and nearby mountainous regions, including Lobuche and Namche, as well as in India’s Bihar state. However, no significant damage or casualties were reported in these areas.
Nepal, which lies on a major geological faultline, frequently experiences earthquakes. In 2015, a massive 7.8-magnitude quake killed nearly 9,000 people and destroyed over half a million homes.
Tuesday’s earthquake was the most powerful recorded within a 200-kilometre radius in the last five years, according to the CENC.
It follows a series of deadly quakes in China’s history, including one in northwest Gansu province in December 2023, which killed 148 people, and another in Yunnan province in 2014, which claimed over 600 lives.
