Tibet earthquake: scores dead and hundreds of homes damaged
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Quake damaged buildings in Shigatse and could be felt hundreds of kilometres away in Nepal and the Indian state of Bihar. A strong earthquake has struck near Shigatse, one of Tibet’s holiest cities, killing scores of people, damaging buildings, and sending people running to the streets in neighbouring Nepal and India.
![[A map made available by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) showing the location of the earthquake hitting near Shigatse, Tibet]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/45f9f62629fa86d87d4143a98d7ea93cc3c9e7fe/182_509_1301_780/master/1301.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Chinese state media said at least 95 people had died, more than 130 had been injured, and about 1,000 houses were damaged in the quake, which hit at 9.05am on Tuesday. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centred in the Tibet region at a depth of about 10km (6 miles). It measured it the tremor at a magnitude 7.1, while China recorded it as 6.8.
The Chinese president Xi Jinping said all-out search and rescue efforts should be carried out to minimise casualties, properly resettle the affected people, and ensure a safe and warm winter. More than 1,500 local firefighters and rescue workers have been dispatched to the affected areas, Xinhua news agency reported. Some 22,000 items including cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts and folding beds have also been sent to the quake-hit region, it said.
State broadcaster CCTV said earlier: “Dingri county and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed.” It said more than 40 aftershocks had been registered by midday, including 16 above magnitude 3.0.
Dingri is a county home to about 60,000 people, according to 2020 figures. The average altitude in the area around the epicentre, which borders the Himalayas, is about 4,200 meters. Temperatures in Dingri are around minus 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) and will drop to minus 18 this evening, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
