Hong Kong
CNN
—
At least 53 people were killed Tuesday morning after a powerful earthquake struck a remote region of Tibet, according to Chinese state media, with tremors felt in neighboring Nepal and parts of northern India.
The United States Geological Society (USGS) said the 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time and was followed by several aftershocks.
The USGS and the China Earthquake Networks Center said the epicenter was high on the remote Tibetan Plateau, near the Himalayan border with Nepal.
Another 62 people were injured in the quake, while more than 1,000 houses were damaged in Tingri county, where the epicenter was, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Videos from Chinese social media geotagged by CNN showed damaged roofs, storefronts and debris piling up on the streets of Lhatse County, about 86 kilometers (53 miles) from the epicenter. Some cars and motorbikes parked along the road were also damaged, according to the images.
The region near the epicenter is sparsely populated, but small villages are nestled in the isolated and often difficult to access Himalayan valleys. Around 6,900 people are estimated to live in 27 villages within a 20 km radius of the epicenter, according to Xinhua.
The nearest major city to the epicenter is the holy city of Shigatse, located about 180 km (111 miles) away. The city is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, just behind the Dalai Lama.
Footage from a supermarket surveillance camera in Shigatse shared by Xinhua captured the moment the earthquake struck, with customers running outside as goods fell from shaking shelves.
Rescue teams, including the Chinese air force, joined the search efforts, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Three villages had lost their telephone signals by midday, according to the channel.
A total of 49 aftershocks were recorded as of midday Monday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
In a statement following the quake, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on authorities to make every effort to search and rescue survivors, minimize the number of casualties, properly accommodate affected residents and ensure their safety and warmth in the cold winter.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
