At least 53 people were confirmed dead and 62 injured in a powerful earthquake near Tibet’s second largest and holiest city, Shigatse, while tremors were also felt hundreds of kilometers away in Nepal.
According to foreign news agencies, Chinese and American monitoring groups provided information about the magnitude of the earthquake.
According to China’s Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake struck at 9:05 a.m. local time on Tuesday, its depth was 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and the magnitude was recorded as 6.8, while the United States Geological Survey reported the earthquake as 7.1.
According to the report, the 6.8-magnitude earthquake is powerful and capable of causing severe damage, with multiple aftershocks also reported, the strongest of which was a magnitude of 4.4.
China’s official news agency Xinhua reported that nine people were killed in three areas around the city, in addition to several buildings collapsing, and according to local media reports, dozens of people have died.
Al Jazeera’s reporter, reporting from Beijing, said that images from the affected areas showed several buildings and houses collapsing.
The reporter said that the earthquake-hit areas are remote mountain villages that are difficult to access and are now even more difficult to reach during the winter, the area is extremely cold and there are no major cities nearby.
The BBC, a British broadcaster, reported, citing Chinese state media, that at least 53 people have been confirmed dead and 62 injured in the earthquake tremors.
Tremors were also felt in Tibet’s neighboring country of Nepal and parts of India.
According to the report, earthquakes are common in the region, which lies on a fault line.
Shigatse is considered one of Tibet’s holiest cities, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, an important Buddhist figure who is considered the second-highest spiritual leader after the Dalai Lama.
