The urgent need to search for survivors of the powerful Tibet earthquake is growing

By Joe Cash – Reuters

At least 126 people were killed and 188 injured on the Tibetan side, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Photo: AFP/Liu Yusheng

Chinese officials said on Wednesday that more than 400 people trapped under rubble in the earthquake-hit Tibet region had been rescued, while an unknown number were still unaccounted for after an earthquake shook the foothills of the Himalayas and changed the region's landscape.

The epicenter of the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, one of the strongest tremors the region has witnessed in recent years, was located in Tengri in the Tibet region of China, about 80 kilometers north of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.

It also shook buildings in neighboring Nepal, Bhutan and India.

The quake was so strong that part of the terrain surrounding the epicenter slid by up to 1.6 meters over a distance of 80 kilometers, according to an analysis by the US Geological Survey.

Twenty-four hours after the quake, those trapped under the rubble could have endured a night in sub-zero temperatures, adding pressure to rescuers searching for survivors in an area the size of Cambodia.

Temperatures in the high area dropped to minus 18 degrees Celsius overnight.

Experts said that trapped people or those without shelter are at risk of rapid drop in body temperature and may only be able to survive for five to 10 hours even if they are unharmed.

At least 126 people were killed and 188 injured on the Tibetan side, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

No deaths have been reported in Nepal or elsewhere.

The Chinese authorities have not yet announced the number of people still missing.

Experts said trapped people or those without shelter are at risk of rapid drop in body temperature and may only be able to survive for five to 10 hours even if they are unharmed. Photo: Agence France-Presse

In Nepal, an official told Reuters that the earthquake destroyed a school building in a village near Mount Everest, which straddles the Nepalese-Tibetan border. No one was inside at the time.

German climber Joost Kubusch said he was directly above Mount Everest base camp on the Nepalese side when the quake struck. His tent shook violently and he saw several avalanches collapsing. He was not injured.

“I'm climbing Mount Everest in the winter alone… It seems like I'm the only mountaineer there, there's no one at the base camp,” Kubosch told Reuters in a video call.

Satori Adventures, which is organizing his trip, said Kubosh had left the base camp and was descending on Namche Bazaar on Wednesday on his way to Kathmandu.

But in Tibet, the damage was widespread.

A preliminary survey showed that 3,609 homes were destroyed in the Shigatse region. Photo: AFP/Sunil Sharma

State media reported late Tuesday evening that a preliminary survey showed that 3,609 homes were destroyed in the Shigatse region, which is inhabited by 800,000 people.

More than 1,800 emergency rescue personnel and 1,600 soldiers have been deployed.

CCTV footage showed families gathered in rows of blue and green tents that soldiers and relief workers quickly erected in settlements surrounding the epicenter, where hundreds of aftershocks were recorded.

State media said that more than 30,000 people affected by the earthquake had been transferred.

With a population of about 60,000 people, Tengri is the most populous province in Tibet and lies on China's border with Nepal, and is administered from the city of Shigatse, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

No damage was reported at the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, which was founded by the first Dalai Lama in 1447, state media reported.

The 14th and current Dalai Lama, along with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, expressed their condolences to the earthquake victims.

500 aftershocks

More than 500 aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 4.4 occurred following the earthquake as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Photo: AFP/Xinhua – Jigme Dorji

The southwestern parts of China, Nepal and northern India are frequently hit by earthquakes caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, pushing up the ancient sea that is now the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The China Earthquake Networks Center said that more than 500 aftershocks with a magnitude of 4.4 followed the quake as of 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

Over the past five years, 29 earthquakes with a magnitude of 3 or more occurred within 200 kilometers of the epicenter of Tuesday's quake, according to data from the local seismological office.

Tuesday's earthquake was the worst in China since a 6.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in 2023, killing at least 149 people in a remote area northwest of the country.

In 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan, killing at least 70,000 people, the deadliest earthquake to hit China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which killed at least 242,000 people.

– Reuters

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos