Beijing: Death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck China’s remote Tibet region on Tuesday morning jumped to at least 95, state media reported, with tremors of the quake felt in Nepal and India as well.
The quake struck Dingri county with a magnitude of 6.8 near the border with Nepal at 9:05am (0105 GMT), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The US Geological Survey reported the tremor as magnitude 7.1.
“Ninty Five people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in Xizang Autonomous Region at 9:05am,” Xinhua news agency said.
“Dingri county and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed,” state broadcaster CCTV said earlier.
Xinhua said: “Local authorities are reaching out to various townships in the county to assess the impact of the quake”.
Temperatures in Dingri are around -8 degrees Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and will drop to -18 this evening, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
The high-altitude county in the Tibet region is home to around 62,000 people and situated on the Chinese side of Mount Everest.
While earthquakes are common in the region, Tuesday’s quake was the most powerful recorded within a 200-kilometre radius in the last five years, the CENC added.
