SRINAGAR: A powerful earthquake struck the Tibet region on Tuesday, leaving at least 53 people dead and 62 injured, according to reports from Chinese authorities. The tremors, which were also felt in parts of Nepal and northern India, have caused significant destruction in the mountainous region, reports appearing in media said.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at a magnitude of 7.1, with a depth of about 10 kilometres (6 miles), while Chinese authorities reported it as a 6.8-magnitude earthquake. The epicentre was near Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest city, approximately 380 kilometres from the capital, Lhasa. This area is seismically active, lying at the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which create the Himalayan range.
Fifty-three people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in Xizang Autonomous Region at 9:05 a.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time),” Chinese official news agency Xihua reported
In Shigatse’s Tingri County, the towns of Changsuo, Quluo, and Cuoguo reported extensive damage, with numerous buildings collapsed. Nine deaths were confirmed in these townships, but the overall toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue. Images from the affected areas show crumbled buildings and debris spilling onto roads, making relief efforts even more challenging.
The China Earthquake Networks Centre highlighted that the average altitude of the region around the epicentre is about 4,200 metres (13,800 feet), adding to the difficulty of rescue efforts in winter conditions. More than 1,500 emergency workers have been deployed to search for survivors. Aftershocks continue to rattle the region, the strongest of which measured 4.4 in magnitude.
In neighbouring Nepal, tremors were felt as far away as Kathmandu, where residents rushed out of their homes in fear. While no casualties have been reported in Nepal so far, authorities have mobilised security forces to assess the situation, especially in remote Himalayan regions near Mount Everest.
This earthquake is part of a long history of seismic activity in the region. According to the USGS, there have been at least 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater in the area over the past century. The tectonic summary of the event described the quake as resulting from normal faulting at a shallow depth, with a rupture occurring along a fault that dips either east or west.
The earthquake has drawn comparisons to past seismic disasters in the region, including the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, which killed nearly 70,000 people, and the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which left around 9,000 dead. Experts fear that the remote and harsh terrain, coupled with winter weather, could complicate rescue and recovery efforts in Tibet, leaving many communities vulnerable.
