Powerful earthquake kills at least 53 in Tibet – rts.ch

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the sparsely populated Dingri township, located near the Sino-Nepal border, at 9:05 a.m. (2:05 a.m. in Switzerland), according to China’s national earthquake agency (CENC).

The American Geological Survey (USGS), for its part, reported an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 in the region. It was felt as far away as Kathmandu, Nepal, about 200 kilometers away.

“The tremors were very strongly felt in and around the canton of Dingri and many buildings collapsed near the epicenter,” said public television CCTV, stressing that “multiple aftershocks” had been recorded, the most important being magnitude 4.4.

Homes partially destroyed

Videos broadcast by Chinese media show white-colored homes at high altitude, with gutted walls and collapsed roofs, with numerous stones littering the ground.

Other images from public television show firefighters in helmets and orange outfits heading towards the scene of the disaster.

The official Xinhua news agency said local authorities were visiting the canton’s various communes “to assess the repercussions of the earthquake.”

Region near Everest

This high altitude canton has around 62,000 inhabitants and is located not far from the Chinese side of Everest.

While earthquakes are common in the region, Tuesday’s quake was the most powerful recorded within a 200-kilometer radius in the last five years, the CENC said.

In Nepal, in addition to Kathmandu, the areas around Namche and Lobuche, very close to the Everest base camp, were also hit by the earthquake and its aftershocks.

The Himalayas lie on the divide between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates and experience regular seismic activity.

In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and injured more than 22,000 in Nepal, destroying more than 500,000 homes.

afp/jtr