Kathmandu and Beijing At least 95 people were killed and hundreds of homes were destroyed by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that slammed the Himalayan foothills close to one of Tibet’s most sacred cities on Tuesday, according to Chinese officials.
The epicentre of the earthquake was roughly 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. Buildings in adjacent Bhutan, India, and Nepal were also shaken by the tremors.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Centre, the epicentre is 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) deep in Tingri County, which is referred to as the northern gateway to the Everest region.
The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.1, according to the U.S. Geological Service. At 9:05 a.m. (0105 GMT), it struck.
China’s state-run television said at least 95 people were confirmed dead and 130 injured on the Tibetan side. Deaths elsewhere were not reported.
The 800,000-person Shigatse area of Tibet was affected by the earthquake. Shigatse city, which has historically housed the Panchen Lama, one of the most significant individuals in Tibetan Buddhism, is in charge of overseeing the area.
According to footage supplied by Tibet Fire and Rescue, several homes in Shigatse city were reduced to rubble. It revealed that rescuers combed through the wreckage of a destroyed house and extracted one injured person.
The spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, who left his country in 1959 after China seized it, expressed his profound sadness.
In a message, the Nobel Peace Prize winner stated, “I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives and extend my wishes for a swift recovery to all who have been injured.”
Although Mount Everest is a well-liked climbing and trekking destination, winter is not the best time of year to go in Nepal.
According to Lilathar Awasthi of the tourist department, a German climber was the only person with a permit to ascend Everest, but he had already departed the base camp after failing to reach the summit.
Following the earthquake, China banned travellers from the Everest region, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.
According to Chinese President Xi Jinping, extensive search and rescue operations should be conducted in order to limit losses and relocate impacted individuals.
According to Xinhua, about 1,500 firefighters and rescue personnel have been sent to the impacted districts. According to the report, over 22,000 goods have also been supplied, including foldable beds, coats, tents, and quilts.
Earthquakes frequently occur in Tibet
One of the strongest earthquakes in recent memory, with a magnitude of 6.8, slammed Tibet on Tuesday, killing at least 95 people in the northern foothills of the Himalayas.
There is earthquake activity in Tibet. Last year, it recorded over 100 earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 3.0. However, there have only been nine earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher since the turn of the 20th century.
Tingri, a remote county close to the border where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet to form lengthy fault lines over the Tibetan plateau, was the epicentre.
Here are a few significant earthquakes that have occurred in Tibet in recent decades:
JUNE 1, 2024
5.9 in magnitude
Nagqu in northern Tibet is the epicentre.
Tibet’s largest earthquake in 2024, however because of its remote location, there have been no reports of fatalities or property damage.
NOV. 18, 2017
6.9 in magnitude
Mainling in eastern Tibet is the epicentre.
The biggest earthquake since 1950 to strike the Lhasa block. Southern Tibet is made up of the fault-lined Lhasa block. Nearly 3,000 homes were damaged and over 12,000 people were impacted by the more than 300 aftershocks caused by the Mainling earthquake. There were three injuries.
OCT. 6, 2008
Magnitude: 6.6
Epicentre: central Tibet’s Damxung
There were at least ten fatalities and thirty-four injuries. The epicentre was near an earthquake that occurred in 1951.
NOV. 18, 1951
Magnitude: 8.0
Epicentre: central Tibet’s Damxung
Since 1950, this is the second earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 or higher. Over 81 kilometres (50 miles), it created a hole in the earth.
AUG. 15, 1950
Magnitude: 8.6
Medog in eastern Tibet is the epicentre.
One of the 20th century’s most powerful earthquakes ever recorded worldwide. In addition to killing over 3,000 people in Tibet and over 1,000 in Assam, India, the earthquake devastated thousands of homes, temples, and mosques. Mountains moved and landscapes changed in the most affected locations. The Yarlung Zangbo river was blocked by the collapse of several peaks, and communities were plunged into the river by landslides.
