A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck China’s remote Tibet region on Tuesday, leaving 53 dead and 62 injured, according to state media. The earthquake, which hit Dingri county near the Nepal border at 9:05 am, caused widespread destruction, including the collapse of over 1,000 buildings. Tremors were felt in Nepal’s Kathmandu and parts of India.
Footage from China’s CCTV showed rescue workers sifting through rubble and distributing blankets to affected residents. Temperatures in the region are expected to plummet to minus 18°C, adding urgency to relief efforts.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for comprehensive rescue operations and winter aid for survivors. Disaster relief, including cotton tents and quilts, has been dispatched to the high-altitude county, which lies near Mount Everest.
While Nepal reported no casualties or damage, tremors were strongly felt near Everest. Nepal’s geological vulnerability often exposes it to severe earthquakes, such as the devastating 2015 earthquake that claimed nearly 9,000 lives.
