The jerk of magnitude 6.8 hit the canton of Dingriin the autonomous region of Tibetat 9:05 a.m. local time (01:05 GMT), causing the collapse of numerous buildings, Xinhua said, citing China’s national earthquake agency (CENC).
This is the earthquake the most powerful recorded in the region for five years, according to the PRICEwhich indicates that its epicenter is approximately 370 km southwest of the regional capital, Lhasa.
American Geological Survey (USGS), for its part, reported a earthquake of magnitude 7.1 in the region.
The Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the mobilization of all necessary means to search and rescue operationscalling for everything to be done “to save lives and minimize the number of victims”.
Images broadcast by the Chinese television channel CCTV show homes in gutted walls and to collapsed roofs at high altitude, as well as vehicles buried under rubble.
Of the rescue teams have transported emergency aidincluding tents and quilts.
The tremors were felt until Nepal neighbor, including in the capital Kathmandu and near Everest Base Camp, with no major damage reported there.
Ce earthquake comes less than a year after the one which left 148 dead and thousands homeless in the province of Gansu (northwest) in December 2023.
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