Deadly earthquake hits Shigatse region in Tibet: What we know so far | Earthquake news

A powerful earthquake struck a remote area in Tibet, killing at least 95 people and injuring dozens, and tremors were felt in Nepal, Bhutan and parts of northern India.

Videos broadcast by China Central Broadcasting Corporation (CCTV) showed destroyed homes, and the official Xinhua News Agency said more than 1,000 homes were damaged. The epicenter of the earthquake was Shigatse, one of the holiest cities in Tibet.

Here's what we know so far:

What is the size of the Tibet earthquake?

The US Geological Survey said the quake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale, while the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) recorded a magnitude of 6.8.

The earthquake, which occurred just after 9:05 a.m. local time (01:05 GMT), shook western China at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Where was the epicenter of the earthquake?

The epicenter of the earthquake was the high-altitude Dingri County of Shigatse, located on the Chinese side of Mount Everest, which is home to about 62,000 people.

The center added that Tuesday's earthquake was the strongest earthquake recorded in a radius of 200 kilometers (124 miles) during the past five years.

Shigatse is the seat of the Panchen Lama, an important figure in Tibetan Buddhism, whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.

Dingri is currently experiencing temperatures of around minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The China Meteorological Administration expected the temperature to drop to minus 18 degrees Celsius by Tuesday evening.

The remote Shigatze region is located far from major cities in China. This, coupled with extreme cold, has hampered rescue efforts, Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu reports from Beijing.

What do we know about the victims?

At least 95 people were killed and 130 others were injured, according to Chinese state media.

Nepalese police spokesman Bishwa Adhikari told Reuters that a man in Kathmandu was injured after jumping from the roof of a house after strong tremors.

No injuries or other damage have been reported so far in Nepal, India and Bhutan.

Were homes damaged in the earthquake?

The earthquake caused damage to infrastructure, as images showed collapsed homes and other buildings turned into rubble.

The New China News Agency (Xinhua) reported that more than a thousand homes were damaged to varying degrees.

“Dingri County and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicenter collapsed,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.

In the town of Lats, videos geolocated by Agence France-Presse showed debris scattered in front of restaurants on the side of the street.

Rescue teams search through the rubble in the city of Shigatse [Screengrab obtained from a handout video via Reuters]
Where were the tremors of the Tibet earthquake felt?

Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, was hit by the earthquake and aftershocks, forcing some residents to flee their homes. Kathmandu is located about 230 kilometers (140 miles) south of Shigatse.

The earthquake was also felt in the northern Indian state of Bihar, bordering Nepal. It was also felt by residents in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.

According to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, shocks occurred in seven mountainous areas bordering Tibet.

People leave their homes during the earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal [Stringer/Reuters]
How did the government respond?

The Chinese government has deployed about 1,500 rescue workers, including military personnel, to the area. Al Jazeera's Yu said there were pictures of those affected by the earthquake receiving treatment in the streets.

About 22,000 pieces of disaster relief aid have been sent to the affected areas, including cotton tents, quilts and materials for high-altitude areas, Xinhua reported.

China Central Television added that Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed “making comprehensive search and rescue efforts, minimizing losses to the greatest extent possible, properly resettling the affected residents, and ensuring their safety and warmth during the winter.”

“Local authorities are communicating with different towns in the province to assess the impact of the earthquake,” Xinhua said.

Have the Himalayas experienced earthquakes recently?

The Tibetan Plateau is vulnerable to earthquakes due to the collision of tectonic plates.

Tibet and Nepal lie on a major geological fault line where the Indian tectonic plates push up into the Eurasian plate to form the Himalayas, and earthquakes occur regularly. The region is seismically active, causing tectonic uplifts that can grow strong enough to change the heights of the Himalayan peaks.

There have been 29 earthquakes with a magnitude of three or more in the past five years within 200 kilometers (124 miles) of the epicenter of the Shigatse quake, according to CCTV. However, authorities say Tuesday's quake was “stronger” than other earthquakes in the past five years, Al Jazeera reported.

In 2015, nearly 9,000 people died and more than 22,000 were injured when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, destroying more than half a million homes.

On May 21, 2021, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake shook Qinghai Province in southern China.

Tuesday's earthquake is among the worst earthquakes to hit the Himalayan region in 100 years.

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