- Strong earthquake causes damage near one of Tibet's most sacred cities
- Tremors were also felt in Nepal, Bhutan and northern India.
- No reports of damage or lives lost around Everest: Nepal authorities
BEIJING: The death toll from a devastating earthquake that hit China's remote Tibet region on Tuesday rose to at least 126, state media said.
“A total of 126 people have been confirmed dead and another 188 have been injured as of 7:00 p.m. (11:00 GMT) on Tuesday,” Xinhua reported.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook the northern foothills of the Himalayas, near one of the most sacred cities in Tibet today.
The earthquake occurred at 9:05 a.m. (01:05 GMT), with its epicenter located in Tingri, a rural county known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the China Seismic Network Center. The United States Geological Survey estimated the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.1.
Areas of southwestern China, Nepal and northern India are frequently affected by earthquakes caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Tuesday's epicenter was about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain and a popular destination for climbers and hikers.
Winter is not a popular season for climbers and trekkers in Nepal, with a German climber being the only mountaineer permitted to scale Mount Everest. He had already abandoned the base camp after failing to reach the summit, said Lilathar Awasthi, an official with the Tourism Department.
Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the tremors were felt in seven mountainous districts bordering Tibet.
“So far we have not received any information about loss of life or property,” said NDRRMA spokesperson Dizan Bhattarai. Reuters. “We have mobilized police, security forces and local authorities to collect information,” he said.
Many villages in the border area with Nepal, which are sparsely populated, are remote and can only be reached on foot.
The impact of the earthquake was felt throughout the Shigatse region of Tibet, where 800,000 people live. The region is administered by the city of Shigatse, traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that all-out search and rescue efforts should be carried out to minimize casualties, properly resettle affected people and ensure a warm and safe winter.
More than 1,500 local firefighters and rescue workers have been sent to the affected areas, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Some 22,000 items, including cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts and folding beds, have also been sent to the earthquake-hit region, he said.
Pakistan has expressed its deepest condolences over the tragic loss of life caused by the earthquake.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Pakistan extends its support to the Chinese people and government in their relief efforts.
“Our thoughts remain with the injured and missing,” he added.
Expressing grief over the loss of life and financial losses due to the earthquake, President Asif Ali Zardari said his condolences were with the government, people and victims of the Chinese earthquake.
“In this time of pain, I stand in solidarity with my Chinese brothers and sisters,” the president said.
Tremors, aftershocks
Tingri villages, where the average elevation is around 4,000 to 5,000 meters (13,000 to 16,000 feet), reported strong shaking during the earthquake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks with magnitudes up to 4.4.
In a video posted on social media, collapsed storefronts could be seen showing the consequences in the city of Lhatse, with debris spilling onto the road.
Reuters was able to confirm the location based on nearby buildings, windows, road layout and signage that match satellite and street view images.
There are three townships and 27 villages within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the epicenter, with a total population of around 6,900, and more than 1,000 houses have been damaged, Xinhua reported.
Local government officials were in contact with nearby cities to assess the impact of the quake and check for casualties, and China closed the Everest region to tourists after the quake, he added.
The Tingri quake was caused by a rupture in the known Lhasa block in an area subject to north-south compression and west-east tension, closed circuit television reported, citing Chinese experts.
Since 1950, there have been 21 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher in the Lhasa block, the largest of which was the magnitude 6.9 Mainling earthquake in 2017, according to closed circuit television.
Mainling is located on the lower reaches of Tibet's Yarlung Zangbo River, where China plans to build the world's largest hydroelectric dam.
A magnitude 7.8 tremor struck near Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, in 2015, killing about 9,000 people and injuring thousands in the worst earthquake ever recorded in the country. The dead include at least 18 people who died at the Mount Everest base camp when it was hit by an avalanche.
Tremors were felt in Kathmandu on Tuesday, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the epicenter, and the city's residents ran from their homes.
“The bed was shaking and I thought my son was moving it… I didn't pay much attention, but the movement of a window made me realize that it was an earthquake,” said Kathmandu resident Meera Adhikarii. “I'm still shaking with fear and shock.”
One person was injured in Kathmandu when he jumped from the top of a house after feeling strong tremors, Nepal police spokesman Bishwa Adhikari said. The man was being treated at the hospital.
The earthquake also shook Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, and the northern Indian state of Bihar, which borders Nepal.
So far, there have been no reports of damage or loss to property, officials from India and Bhutan said.
