A strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake in China’s Tibet region near the China-Nepal border has left at least 95 people dead and 130 injured, according to a report from Reuters citing Chinese state media (Video Credit: Tibet Fire and Rescue).
KATHMANDU, Nepal – A strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake in China‘s Tibet region near the Nepal border has left at least 95 people dead and 130 injured, according to a report from Reuters citing Chinese state media.
The quake hit just after 9 a.m. local time Tuesday morning close to the town of Tingri, a popular tourist destination for people seeking to climb Mount Everest, located about 50 miles south of the town.
Chinese state media said more than 1,500 first responders have been dispatched to the area, according to Reuters.
(FOX Weather)
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake was felt strongly across the border in Nepal, as well as in the nearby countries of India and Bangladesh.
The USGS has recorded more than 10 aftershocks, including a magnitude 5.0 in Nepal. Chinese authorities recorded the initial quake as a magnitude 6.8, according to Reuters.
There are no reported casualties in Nepal so far, according to a press release from Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
The region sits above an area where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet, making it prone to earthquakes, including a magnitude 5.6 quake that killed more than 150 people in 2023.