A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city, early Tuesday, according to the China Earthquake Network Center.
The tremor occurred at exactly 9:05 local time (01:05 GMT), causing strong tremors in the surroundings of the city.
The earthquake had an epicenter depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), the report added. The tremors were felt as far away as Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) away, according to Indian media, where residents reportedly fled their homes.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 is considered strong and is capable of causing serious damage.
Areas in southwestern China are frequently affected by earthquakes. A major earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008 killed nearly 70,000 people.
According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, there have been 29 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3 or more within a 200 kilometer radius around the Shigatse earthquake in the past five years, all of which were smaller than the one that struck on Tuesday. the morning.
In 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck near Kathmandu in neighboring Nepal, killing about 9,000 people and injuring thousands in the worst earthquake to hit that country.
