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
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