Severe earthquake in Tibet: At least 95 dead and many injured!

By Jörn Petring

Tibet - At least 95 people have died in a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in the Chinese region of Tibet.

Several houses were damaged in the severe earthquake in the village of Tonglai in Tingri County.
Several houses were damaged in the severe earthquake in the village of Tonglai in Tingri County.  © Uncredited/XinHua/dpa

At least 130 people were also injured, as reported by the state news agency Xinhua.

Furthermore, over 1000 houses were damaged to varying degrees. State broadcaster CCTV reported that many houses near the epicenter had collapsed.

The quake occurred in Tingri County, which is located on the north side of Mount Everest and around 400 kilometers west of the Tibetan capital Lhasa. According to Xinhua, around 6900 people live around 20 kilometers from the epicenter; according to official figures, Tingri County has 61,000 inhabitants.

According to Xinhua, the tremors were clearly felt in the surrounding area. Several communities were affected. Rescue work is underway. Residents were also evacuated to avoid the possible effects of aftershocks.

Quake also shocks people in India and Nepal

Rescue workers search for survivors after the earthquake in the autonomous region of Tibet in southwest China.
Rescue workers search for survivors after the earthquake in the autonomous region of Tibet in southwest China.  © Anonymous/Xinhua/AP/dpa

The earth tremors were also felt in Nepal and northern India .

The local newspaper "The Himalayan Times" reported that people in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and other parts of the country took to the streets for fear of their houses collapsing.

It was initially unclear whether anyone was injured.

The authorities were trying to get an idea of the effects of the quake, it said. According to local media, the quake was also felt in northern India.

Region is frequently hit by earthquakes

People gather in front of their houses next to rubble after an earthquake.
People gather in front of their houses next to rubble after an earthquake.  © Sunil Sharma/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Pictures and videos on social media showed sidewalks lined with rubble and partially collapsed buildings, especially single-storey buildings.

Unlike the Chinese authorities, who gave the quake a magnitude of 6.8, the US Earthquake Monitoring Station (USGS) recorded a value of 7.1. Aftershocks were also registered.

Tibet and the entire south-western part of China, Nepal and northern India are frequently hit by earthquakes caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. A devastating quake in the Chinese province of Sichuan in 2008 claimed around 70,000 lives.

In 2015, another strong quake struck the region around Kathmandu in Nepal, killing around 9,000 people and injuring thousands more.

First reported at 6.15 am, last updated at 9.27 am