126 killed, 188 injured as powerful earthquake hits Tibet; tremors felt in Kathmandu, parts of North India


The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported that the earthquake was recorded at 6:35 am and also revealed that two more earthquakes hit the region shortly after the first one. 

While the second earthquake of magnitude 4.7 was recorded at 7:02 am at a depth of 10 km, the third earthquake of magnitude 4.9 at 7:07 am was recorded at a depth of 30 km. 

Disaster relief aid, including cotton tents, quilts and items for high-altitude and frigid areas, had been dispatched by central authorities to areas impacted by the quake, Xinhua said.

The high-altitude county in the Tibet region is home to around 62,000 people and situated on the Chinese side of Mount Everest.

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

Nepal lies on a major geological faultline where the Indian tectonic plate pushes up into the Eurasian plate, forming the Himalayas, and earthquakes are a regular occurrence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday emphasised “the full-scale search and rescue efforts, minimizing casualties to the greatest extent possible, properly resettling affected residents, and ensuring their safety and warmth through the winter”, state broadcaster CCTV said.

About 1,500 fire and rescue workers were deployed to search for people in the rubble, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

China has also closed the scenic areas of its side of Mt Everest, also known as Mount Qomolangma for tourists.

Dingri is home to the base camp of the world’s highest peak.

According to local authorities, the staff and tourists were in safe condition after the quake, which hit the region at 9:05 am Tuesday (Beijing Time).

The hotel buildings and surrounding areas in the scenic area have remained intact, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Dingri Culture and Tourism Bureau.

However, the Qomolangma Station for Atmospheric and Environmental Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, located in Dingri, is experiencing a power outage.



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