A powerful earthquake struck Tibet on Tuesday, killing at least 95 people and leaving many others trapped as aftershocks rattled western China and neighboring Nepal. According to Xinhua News Agency, 130 individuals were injured, as reported by the regional disaster relief headquarters.
Approximately 1,500 rescue workers were dispatched to search for survivors amid the debris, the Ministry of Emergency Management confirmed. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 7.1, with a relatively shallow depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles), while China reported it at 6.8.
The epicenter, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Mount Everest, lies in a seismically active zone where the India and Eurasia tectonic plates collide, causing uplifts in the Himalayan mountains. This activity is strong enough to alter the heights of some of the tallest peaks on Earth.
The region’s average altitude around the epicenter is approximately 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), as per the China Earthquake Networks Center. CCTV reported that several communities are located within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the epicenter, which is 380 kilometers (240 miles) from Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, and 23 kilometers (14 miles) from Shigatse (Xigaze).
The tremor also shook Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, where residents fled their homes into the streets. Information from remote areas of Nepal near the epicenter remains scarce. Over the past century, the region has experienced 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher, according to the USGS.