Tibet earthquake rescuers race to reach survivors trapped in freezing conditions
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Survivors at risk of hypothermia and frostbite as night temperature drops to -18C. Rescue workers in China’s mountainous Tibet region are racing to reach survivors trapped under the rubble as night temperatures drop far below freezing point following a powerful earthquake.
![[Around 3,600 houses have been damaged in Shigatse region of Tibet]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/07/09/2192240459.jpg)
The search for survivors entered the second day on Wednesday after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake killed at least 126 people, injured 188, and flattened thousands of homes. The earthquake hit at around 9am local time with its epicentre in Tingri county, 80km north of Mount Everest, triggering powerful jolts in neighbouring Nepal, Bhutan and India, none of which have reported any damage or casualties so far.
![[Rescue workers check on an injured resident in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on Tuesday]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/08/04/China_Earthquake_44836.jpg)
Fear is growing that survivors could be struck by hypothermia or frostbite. Many of the rescued survivors and those left homeless spent the night in the open even as temperature dropped to -18C. Power and water remain cut off due to the disaster. Tents, food rations and electrical generators had reached the area by late Tuesday and all sections of the road damaged by the disaster had been reopened, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.
At least 407 people trapped under the debris were pulled out by rescue teams on Tuesday and over 30,000 affected residents were relocated, Xinhua reported. Authorities were racing against time to erect tents for the relocated residents to protect them from freezing temperatures, the news agency added.
