A series of six earthquakes, including a powerful 7.1 magnitude tremor, struck Tibet on Tuesday, leaving 126 people dead and over 188 injured.
The tremors, centred in Tingri County, caused widespread panic and devastation, with the aftershocks reverberating across neighbouring regions, including Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of India.
The early-morning quakes reduced numerous buildings to rubble, especially near the epicentre, with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reporting significant structural damage.
“Dingri county and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed,” CCTV stated.
Also read: 95 killed, over 60 injured as earthquake hits Tibet
The strongest quake, reported at 7.1 magnitude by the National Centre for Seismology and 6.8 magnitude by Chinese officials, struck Xizang at 6:35 am.
The epicentre was located in a seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, often resulting in earthquakes capable of altering the heights of Himalayan peaks.
Tremors were felt as far as Delhi-NCR, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam in India, as well as in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.
In Kathmandu, residents described the fear as they scrambled to safety. Meera Adhikari, a resident, recounted: “I was sleeping. The bed was shaking, and I thought my child was moving the bed. I didn’t pay that much attention, but the shaking of the window confirmed to me that it was an earthquake. I then hurriedly called my child and evacuated the house and went to the open ground.”
Rescue operations are underway as teams search for survivors amidst the debris. The Indian government expressed condolences over the loss of life and property.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal remarked, “Government and people of India express condolences on the tragic loss of life and property caused by the devastating earthquake in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.”
The region, historically prone to seismic activity, has experienced 29 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3 or higher within 200 km of Shigatse city over the past five years, according to Chinese state media. However, none matched the intensity of Tuesday’s catastrophe.
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