6.8 magnitude earthquake devastates Tibet, causing widespread destruction and casualties, with neighbouring countries also affected.

A major earthquake in Tibet, China, on January 7 has claimed the lives of at least 95 people, with over 130 others reported injured. The quake, which had a magnitude of 6.8, struck Tingri county near the Nepalese border at 9:05 AM local time. State media reported extensive damage, with numerous buildings collapsing across the region, while tremors were also felt in neighbouring Nepal, including its capital Kathmandu, and parts of India.

According to China’s Xinhua news agency, over 1,000 homes were damaged, and rescue teams are working tirelessly through the rubble, with survivors being provided with blankets to protect them from the freezing temperatures. CCTV footage showed the severe destruction, including damaged houses and people scrambling to safety in stores as the shelves shook violently.

Local resident Sangji Dangzhi described the situation as “very serious,” with ambulances rushing people to hospitals throughout the day. “The houses here are made of dirt, so they collapsed when the earthquake hit,” he explained.

The epicentre was located in Tingri county, which is situated in a high-altitude region near Mount Everest, where temperatures plummeted to minus 8°C, and are expected to drop further to minus 18°C in the evening. China’s government has sent disaster relief aid, including cotton tents and quilts, to assist the victims in these harsh conditions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for immediate and comprehensive rescue efforts to minimise casualties and ensure that affected residents are relocated and kept warm. Authorities have also dispatched teams to assess the damage across the region.

The tremors were also felt in parts of Nepal, particularly in areas near Everest, such as Namche. However, no fatalities or significant damage have been reported from Nepal so far. “It shook quite strongly here. Everyone is awake,” said a local official in the area. Some tremors were also experienced in Bihar, India, but no injuries were recorded.

This earthquake is the strongest recorded in the region in the past five years, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre. Tibet’s high-altitude geography and the region’s vulnerability to seismic activity, due to the collision of tectonic plates, mean that such natural disasters are frequent. The January 2024 quake on the China-Kyrgyzstan border and a devastating December 2023 earthquake in Gansu province serve as grim reminders of the region’s susceptibility to powerful tremors.

Rescue efforts continue as the region faces not only the immediate challenges of clearing rubble but also the long-term effects of such a destructive event.