At least 126 dead in Tibet after powerful earthquake

A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the foothills of the Himalayas yesterday near one of Tibet’s holiest cities, killing at least 126 people and flattening hundreds of houses and causing tremors felt in Nepal, Bhutan and India.

- ALISHA RAHAMAN SARKAR, SHWETA SHARMA

Many others were injured and trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the remote region. Rescue workers climbed mounds of broken bricks, some using ladders in heavily damaged villages, as they searched for survivors. Videos posted by China's ministry of emergency management showed two people being carried on stretchers by workers treading over the debris from collapsed homes.

The earthquake, which struck at 9.05am local time, was centred in Tibet’s Tingri County – known as the northern gateway to the Everest region – at a depth of about 10km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

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.

The impact of the powerful earthquake was felt across the Shigatse region of Tibet, one of the holiest sites in Buddhism which is 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.