A strong earthquake killed at least 53 people in Tibet and left many others trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the region of western China and across the border in Nepal.
The official Xinhua News Agency said 62 other people were injured in the quake on Tuesday, citing the regional disaster relief headquarters. Some 1,500 fire and rescue workers were deployed to search for people in the rubble, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.
The earthquake struck at 9:05am local time (01:05 GMT) on Tuesday at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre, which recorded a magnitude 6.8 quake. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey reported the earthquake to be magnitude 7.1.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake is considered strong and capable of causing severe damage. Multiple aftershocks have also been reported, with the largest measuring a magnitude 4.4.
Xinhua reported that at least nine people were killed in three townships – Changsuo, Quluo and Cuoguo – in Shigatse’s surrounding Tingri county, where many buildings had collapsed, and local media report that dozens of people are known to have died.
Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said images coming out of the affected areas show many collapsed buildings and homes.
“These are very remote villages in mountainous areas that are difficult to access and that difficulty will be increased by the fact that it is winter now, very cold and not very close to any major city,” Yu said.
“So far, the numbers that we have received from the authorities are 36 dead and 68 people injured. We are, unfortunately, watching that number and expecting that to climb,” she said.
The Reuters news agency said that crumbled shop fronts could be seen in a video showing the aftermath in Lhatse, located about 150km (93 miles) east of Shigatse city, with debris spilling onto the road.
Shigatse is one of Tibet’s holiest cities and the seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism, whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.
Source: Agencies
