Summary:
- A devastating 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet’s Dingri County, resulting in 95 deaths and 130 injuries, with widespread building collapses across the Xigaze region.
- The earthquake occurred at 9:05 AM local time with a shallow depth of 10km, affecting multiple countries including Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of northern India.
- Emergency response teams deployed 1,500 rescue workers to the affected areas, focusing on townships of Changsuo, Quluo, and Cuoguo.
- The quake hit at the convergence of India and Eurasia tectonic plates, marking the strongest seismic activity in the region in five years.
A powerful earthquake struck Tibet’s Dingri County early Tuesday morning, killing at least 95 people and injuring 130 others in one of the region’s most severe seismic events in recent years.
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck at 9:05 AM local time (0105 GMT) in the northern foothills of the Himalayas, with its epicenter located in Tingri, a rural gateway to the Everest region. The quake’s shallow depth of 10 kilometers amplified its destructive impact.
The tremors caused widespread damage in Tibet’s Xigaze region, where multiple buildings collapsed in the townships of Changsuo, Quluo, and Cuoguo. Emergency response teams mobilized swiftly, with approximately 1,500 rescue workers deployed to search for survivors in the rubble.
The seismic activity reverberated across international borders, with strong tremors felt in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, located about 400 kilometers away, prompting residents to flee their homes. The shockwaves also reached parts of northern India, including Delhi-NCR and Bihar, though no significant damage was reported in these areas.
The affected region sits at an average altitude of 4,200 meters, where the India and Eurasia tectonic plates converge. This geological junction is known for significant seismic activity, with forces powerful enough to alter the heights of some of the world’s tallest peaks.
“Dingri county and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicenter have collapsed,” reported China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
The earthquake’s impact was particularly concerning for Xigaze, a holy city and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, Tibetan Buddhism’s second-highest spiritual authority. Multiple aftershocks followed the main quake, with the largest measuring 4.4 in magnitude.
This earthquake marks the most powerful seismic event within a 200-kilometer radius of the epicenter in the past five years, highlighting the region’s ongoing vulnerability to geological disturbances. The area has experienced ten earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater over the past century.
Source: Hindustantimes
