Tibet was hit by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, January 7, causing 53 victims according to a still provisional report. It is the most powerful earthquake the region has seen in five years. What will be the long-term consequences of this natural disaster?
Tl;dr
- A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hits Tibet, killing 53 people.
- The earthquake caused the collapse of many buildings.
- This is the most powerful earthquake in the region in five years.
Devastating earthquake hits Tibet
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 shook the Himalayan region of Tibet, in southwest China, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. According to preliminary reports, it killed at least 53 people and caused the collapse of many buildings. This is the most powerful earthquake in the region in five years.
Dingri canton, epicenter of the earthquake
The earthquake struck the canton of Dingri, located near the Sino-Nepalese border, a sparsely populated region. It was felt as far away as neighboring Nepal. Images broadcast by Chinese public television CCTV show numerous high-altitude homes with gutted walls and collapsed roofs.
“The tremors were very strongly felt in and around Dingri canton and many buildings collapsed near the epicenter,” CCTV said.
Difficult conditions for rescue
Freezing temperatures, reaching -8°C during the day and falling to -18°C at night, make rescue operations particularly difficult. Despite these conditions, the firefighters, dressed in orange outfits and helmets, quickly headed towards the scene of the disaster.
A region with regular seismic activity
The Himalayas lie on the divide between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which causes regular seismic activity. In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake caused nearly 9,000 deaths and more than 22,000 injuries in Nepal.
