A devastating earthquake in Tibet killed at least 95 people and collapsed “many buildings” yesterday, Chinese state media reported, with tremors also felt in neighboring Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, and parts of India.
Videos published by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) showed houses destroyed with walls torn apart.
Rescue workers waded through rubble strewn across the ruins in the aftermath, footage showed, while some gave locals thick blankets to keep warm in subzero temperatures.
Photo: AFP
The quake struck rural, high-altitude Tingri County, about 80km north of Mount Everest near China’s border with Nepal, at about 9am.
Sangji Dangzhi, whose supermarket in Tingri sustained considerable damage, described the situation as “very serious,” with ambulances taking people to hospital throughout the day.
“Here the houses are made from dirt so when the earthquake came ... lots of houses collapsed,” the 34-year-old said.
Surveillance images published by CCTV showed people running through a store’s aisles as shelves shook violently, sending objects like toys tumbling to the ground.
About 95 people had been confirmed dead and 130 others injured as of 3pm, Xinhua news agency said.
More than 1,000 houses have been damaged, it reported earlier.
The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) measured the quake’s magnitude as 6.8, while the US Geological Survey reported it as 7.1.
When tourist Meng Lingkang arrived in the town of Lhatse, 65km from the epicenter, where he had booked a restaurant, “the buildings had cracked open.”
“Some of the older houses collapsed, and a large part of the buildings made from bricks had cracked open, with big fissures,” the 23-year-old said.
Videos showed debris scattered in front of streetside eateries.
“There were quite a few [rescue vehicles]. One after the other they arrived,” Meng added.
The area most affected is surrounded by mountainous terrain on the Chinese side of Mount Everest.
Tingri, the epicenter, is home to about 62,000 people, and is much less developed than urban centers like Tibet’s capital, Lhasa.
Many of the fallen houses appeared to be constructed using traditional materials such as stone, mud bricks and wooden beams.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has called for “all-out search and rescue efforts, minimizing casualties to the greatest extent possible, properly resettling affected residents, and ensuring their safety and warmth through the winter,” CCTV said.
Temperatures in Tingri are projected to drop to minus-16°C overnight, according to the Chinese Meteorological Administration.
In Taipei, President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday offered condolences to the families of those who died or were injured in the earthquake.
Lai on social media platform X wrote in English that “our thoughts are with the people of Tibet and the surrounding areas impacted by the devastating earthquake.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families, and we pray that rescue & aid efforts reach those in need to ensure a swift recovery,” he said.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expressed its condolences and concern for victims of the temblor.
The MAC in a statement said it sent the message of condolences to Chinese authorities through the cross-strait communication mechanism.
It said it has tasked the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation with determining whether any Taiwanese were killed, injured or trapped by the earthquake.
Additional reporting by CNA
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
TECH CORRIDOR: Technology centers and science parks in the south would be linked, bolstering the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a “Southern Silicon Valley” project to promote the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industry in Chiayi County, Tainan, Pingtung County and Kaohsiung. The plan would build an integrated “S-shaped semiconductor industry corridor” that links technology centers and science parks in the south, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said yesterday after a Cabinet meeting. The project would bolster the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries, she said. The proposed tech corridor would be supported by government efforts to furnish computing power, workforce, supply chains and policy measures that encourage application and integration
RSS