At least 126 people were killed and 188 others injured in the powerful earthquake that struck the Tibet region in southwest China on Tuesday morning, according to the latest report released by the Xinhua news agency.
The 6.8 magnitude quake hit Dingri County, in the Tibet Autonomous Region, at 9:05 a.m. local time (01:05 GMT), causing the collapse of many buildings, Xinhua said, citing China’s national earthquake agency. (CENC).
It is the most powerful earthquake recorded in the region in five years, according to the CENC, which indicates that its epicenter is located about 370 km southwest of the regional capital, Lhasa.
The American Geological Survey (USGS), for its part, reported a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the region.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the mobilization of all necessary means for search and rescue operations, calling for everything possible “to save lives and minimize the number of casualties”.
Images broadcast by Chinese television channel CCTV show homes with gutted walls and collapsed roofs at high altitude, as well as vehicles buried under the rubble.
Rescue teams delivered emergency aid, including tents and quilts.
The tremors were felt as far away as neighboring Nepal, including in the capital Kathmandu and near Everest Base Camp, with no major damage reported there.
This 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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