Tibet earthquake kills at least 126 people; tremors felt in Nepal, India

A powerful earthquake in China's remote Tibet region killed at least 126 people and caused "many buildings" to collapse on Jan 7, state media reported, with tremors also felt in neighbouring Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, and parts of India.

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Videos published by China's state broadcaster CCTV showed destroyed houses with walls torn apart.

Rescue workers waded through rubble strewn across the ruins in the aftermath of the earthquake, footage showed, while some gave locals thick blankets to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures.

Surveillance images published by CCTV showed people running through a store's aisles as shelves shook violently, sending objects, such as toys, tumbling to the ground.

"A total of 126 people have been confirmed dead and 188 others injured as of 7pm on Tuesday," Xinhua reported.

More than 1,000 houses have been damaged, Xinhua reported earlier.

The powerful quake struck Tingri county with a magnitude of 6.8 near the border with Nepal at 9.05am, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC). The US Geological Survey reported the quake as having a magnitude of 7.1.

Mr Sangji Dangzhi, whose supermarket in Tingri county suffered considerable damage, described the situation as "very serious", with ambulances taking people to hospital throughout the day.