At least 53 people have been killed and dozens more are trapped after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck western China and Nepal, with the death toll is expected to rise
A devastating 7.1-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 53 people in Tibet, with many more feared trapped following a series of aftershocks that have rocked western China and Nepal.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported that another 62 individuals were injured, according to the regional disaster relief headquarters. In response to the catastrophe, around 1,500 fire and rescue workers have been dispatched to sift through the rubble, as stated by the Ministry of Emergency Management. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake’s magnitude at 7.1, noting its relatively shallow depth of approximately 10 kilometres (6 miles), while China documented it as a 6.8-magnitude tremor.
The epicentre was located roughly 75 kilometres (50 miles) northeast of Mount Everest, an area known for its seismic activity due to the clashing of the India and Eurasia plates, causing significant uplifts in the Himalayan mountains. The China Earthquake Networks Center revealed via social media that the average altitude surrounding the epicentre is about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet).
State broadcaster CCTV reported that several communities are within 5 kilometres (3 miles) of the epicentre, which is 380 kilometres (240 miles) from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and approximately 23 kilometres (14 miles) from the region’s second-largest city of Shigatse, also known as Xigaze in Chinese, reports the Mirror.
In Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, which is about 230 kilometers (140 miles) away, the earthquake jolted residents from their sleep and sent them fleeing into the streets. Information from the remote, mountainous areas of Nepal closer to the epicenter was not immediately available.
According to the USGS, there have been 10 earthquakes of at least magnitude 6 in the area where Tuesday’s quake hit over the past century. A devastating 7.8-magnitude quake rocked Nepal back in 2015, triggering a massive avalanche that claimed 22 lives when it swept through Everest’s Base Camp.
The disaster injured 61 people, marking it as the deadliest event on the mountain. Due to its location on the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, Nepal, along with surrounding regions, is particularly susceptible to earthquakes.
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