Scores dead as magnitude 7.1 tremor hits Tibet happymamay

At least 53 62 people have been confirmed dead Chinese official media reported that a strong earthquake struck the mountainous Tibet region in China on Tuesday morning.

The earthquake that struck the holy city of Shigatse in Tibet around 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT) reached a magnitude of 7.1 and a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), according to data from the US Geological Survey, which also showed a series of earthquakes. From aftershocks in the region.

The earthquake was also felt in neighboring Nepal and parts of India.

Earthquakes are common in the region, which lies on a major geological fault line.

Shigatse is considered one of the holiest cities in Tibet. It is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, a major figure in Tibetan Buddhism, whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.

Chinese state media reported that the quake’s magnitude was just under 6.8, causing “obvious” tremors and an earthquake. Which led to the destruction of more than 1,000 homes.

Posts on social media show collapsed buildings, and there have been several strong aftershocks.

“After a large earthquake, there is always a gradual attenuation process,” Jiang Haikun, a researcher at the China Earthquake Networks Center, told CCTV.

While another earthquake with a magnitude of about 5 might occur, “the probability of a larger earthquake is low,” Jiang said.

The Chinese Air Force launched rescue efforts and drones to the affected area, which is located at the foot of Mount Everest and where temperatures are well below freezing.

Electricity and water were cut off in the area.

A local official in the Namchi district of Nepal, near Mount Everest, said that while the tremors were felt in Nepal, no damage or casualties were reported.

The Tibet Earthquake Bureau told the BBC on Tuesday that it was unable to provide casualty estimates as they were still verifying the numbers.

The area it is located near It is a major fault line of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, and is home to frequent seismic activity. In 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, killed nearly 9,000 people and injured more than 20,000 others.