At least 126 killed as quake jolts Tibet

BEIJING/ISLAMABAD: A magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked the northern foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet’s holiest cities on Tuesday, Chinese authorities said, killing at least 126 people and shaking buildings in neighbouring Nepal, Bhutan and India.

The quake hit at 9:05am (0105 GMT), with its epicentre located in Tingri, a rural county known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre. The US Geological Service put the quake’s magnitude at 7.1.

At least 188 were injured on the Tibetan side, China’s state-run television reported six hours later. There were no reports of deaths elsewhere.

Southwestern parts of China, Nepal and northern India are frequently hit by earthquakes caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Tuesday’s epicentre was around 80 kilometres north of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain and a popular destination for climbers and trekkers.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the tremors were felt in seven hill districts bordering Tibet.

“So far we have not received any information of any loss of life and property,” NDRRMA spokesman Dizan Bhattarai told Reuters. “We have mobilised police, security forces and local authorities to collect information,” he said.

Many villages in the Nepalese border area, which are sparsely populated, are remote and can only be reached by foot.

The impact of the quake was felt across the Shigatse region of Tibet, home to 800,000 people. The region is administered by Shigatse city, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said all-out search and rescue efforts should be carried out to minimise casualties, properly resettle the affected people, and ensure a safe and warm winter.

More than 1,500 local firefighters and rescue workers have been dispatched to the affected areas, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

Some 22,000 items including cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts and folding beds have also been sent to the quake-hit region, it said.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives and the damage to the property caused by the earthquake that struck China’s Xizang region.

“My sympathies are with the government, the people of China, and the earthquake victims during this hour of grief,” President Zardari said in a press statement. “We stand in solidarity with our Chinese brothers and sisters, sharing their sorrow in this difficult time,” he added.

The president also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the earthquake.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended his heartfelt condolences to President Xi Jinping and the brotherly people of China for the loss of precious lives.

“The entire Pakistani nation is deeply saddened by the tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected. Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people of China during this difficult time,” the prime minister, in a post on X, said.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan extends its support to the Chinese people and government in their relief efforts. “Our thoughts remain with the injured and those still missing,” it added.