Tibet Earthquake: A deadly 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits the holy city of Shigatse

A deadly 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck one of Tibet's holiest cities on Tuesday morning (January 7) local time.

The quake occurred at 9:05 AM China Standard Time (8:05 PM EDT on January 6), and had killed at least 95 people and injured 130 others as of 3 PM local time (2 AM EDT ), according to the Chinese state. Media.

Chinese officials reported that the quake measured 6.8, but the US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded its magnitude at 7.1.

The epicenter of the quake was below Dingri County in the holy city of Shigazi, or Shigazi, part of the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China.

Chinese state media reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered “comprehensive rescue efforts to save lives and minimize losses.”

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About 6,900 people live within 12.4 miles (20 km) of the epicenter of the latest earthquake. Initial surveys showed that more than 1,000 homes were damaged, some of which were reduced to rubble. Chinese state media reported that officials sent more than 1,500 firefighters and rescue workers to the affected areas on Tuesday morning.

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After the initial earthquake that struck Tibet, dozens of aftershocks occurred with a magnitude of 4.4. Sky News reported that neighboring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan and India felt the tremors.

“There have already been a number of potentially damaging aftershocks, and more can be expected in the area,” a British Geological Survey spokesperson told Live Science in an email.

The spokesman pointed out that most earthquakes are followed by aftershocks, and that the rule is usually that the larger the earthquake, the larger the aftershocks and the longer these aftershocks last.

The spokesman said: “Aftershocks may affect the area for months to come, which could severely affect those living in the area, but after a few days, the number of aftershocks expected is expected to decrease rapidly.”

Stock image of Shigatse, Tibet before the January 7 earthquake (Image credit: Oversnap via Getty Images)

Earthquakes occur when two masses of earth slide past each other at fault lines, which are the areas between these masses. Fault events of this type in Tibet typically cover an area about 28 miles (45 kilometers) long and 12 miles (20 kilometers) wide, according to the USGS.

Plate boundaries

The quake occurred 6 miles (10 kilometers) below the surface near the boundary of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, according to the US Geological Survey. This region has a history of large earthquakes, including the 2015 Nepal earthquake, or Gorkha earthquake, which killed about 9,000 people.

“This is a very earthquake-prone area and has witnessed several large earthquakes in the past, including the 7.3 magnitude Gorkha earthquake in Nepal in 2015, which [was] About 160 km [258 miles] “In 1934, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred about 160 kilometers to the south-southwest,” the spokesman said.

Scientists cannot predict earthquakes, and they usually occur without warning, making them among the most dangerous natural disasters.

The collision of the Eurasian and Indian plates into each other causes a process called Himalayan uplift, which includes Mount Everest. The Indian plate is sliding beneath the Eurasian plate, pushing the edge of the Eurasian plate upward. The edges of the two plates were already very high before they started colliding millions of years ago, contributing to the dramatic rise of the Himalayas.

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