An earthquake in the Tibet region of China on Tuesday resulted in the tragic loss of at least 53 lives and caused significant structural damage to numerous buildings.
State media indicated that tremors were also experienced in the capital of neighboring Nepal, Kathmandu, as well as in various regions of India.
Footage released by China’s state broadcaster CCTV depicted devastated homes, with walls severely damaged and debris scattered throughout the remains following the earthquake.
As reported by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), the quake registered a magnitude of 6.8 and occurred in Dingri County, close to the Nepalese border, at 9:05 am (0105 GMT).
The report further states that local authorities are actively engaging with different townships within the county to evaluate the earthquake’s repercussions.
Similarly, the US Geological Survey reported the tremor as magnitude 7.1.
Xinhua news agency, citing the regional disaster relief headquarters said, “Thirty-two people have been confirmed dead and 38 injured during the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region at 9:05 am Tuesday
“Dingri county and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed.
According to the China Meteorological Administration, temperatures in Dingri are currently approximately minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and are expected to decrease to minus 18 this evening.
This high-altitude county in the Tibet region is inhabited by approximately 62,000 residents and is located on the Chinese side of Mount Everest.
The CENC emphasized that while seismic activity is prevalent in the region, the earthquake on Tuesday was the most intense recorded within a 200-kilometer radius over the past five years.
The tremors and subsequent aftershocks also affected Kathmandu and areas surrounding Lobuche in Nepal, situated in the high-altitude region near Everest.
“It shook quite strongly here, everyone is awake,” said government official Jagat Prasad Bhusal in Nepal’s Namche region, which lies nearer to Everest.
