A magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook up the northern foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet’s holiest cities on Tuesday, according to Chinese authorities, killing at least 53 people and shaking buildings in neighbouring countries: Nepal, Bhutan and India.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Centre, the quake hit at 9:05 a.m. (01:05 GMT), with its epicentre found in Tingri –a rural Chinese county known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
Meanwhile, the U.S. Geological Service put the quake’s magnitude at 7.1.
At the time of filing this report, about 53 people have been killed, leaving 62 injured on the Tibetan side, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
The southwestern regions of China, Nepal and northern India are no strangers to earthquakes as they frequently experience it and is usually caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Tuesday’s epicentre occurred around 80 km (50 miles) north of Everest.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has already released a statement, saying all-out search and rescue efforts should be carried out to reduce casualties, properly resettle the affected people, and ensure a safe and warm winter.
Villages in Tingri, where the average elevation is said to be at 4,000-5,000 metres (13,000-16,000 feet), reported strong shaking during the quake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 4.4.
Local government officials have reportedly been liaising with nearby towns to assess the impact of the quake and check for casualties, and China closed the Everest region to tourists after the quake, it added.
The Tingri tremor was said to be caused by a rupture called the Lhasa block in an area under north-south compression and west-east stress, according to a news media, CCTV, report which cited Chinese experts.
At this time, no reports of any damage or loss to property have been filed, according to the officials in India.
