At least 53 people lost their lives and 62 were injured after and earthquake 6.8 degrees of magnitude recorded this Tuesday in Tingri county in western China’s Tibetaccording to the local newspaper Nanfang Daily.
The earthquake occurred at 09:05 local time (01:05 GMT) in Tingri County, Shigatse Prefecture. at a depth of 10 kilometersaccording to the China Seismological Networks Center.
32 deaths were recorded in the aforementioned county of Tingri, the most affected and where more than 1,000 homes also collapsed, according to the Nanfang Daily.
Of the rest of the victims, at least two were reported in nearby Lhaze County.
After the earthquake, the Anti-Seismic and Disaster Relief Command Office of the State Council (Chinese Executive) and the Ministry of Emergency Management launched an emergency and They sent a work group to the earthquake area to guide the anti-seismic and relief efforts.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, local fire crews They have mobilized more than 1,500 troops for search tasks and rescue of survivors.
Tingri County, which has a population density of 4.2 people per square kilometer, is located at the foot of the Himalayas and has a average altitude of 5,000 meters above sea levelaccording to official information from the local government.
According to weather forecasts, temperatures in the county are expected to reach a minimum of 16 degrees below zero and a maximum of 3 degrees.
6.8 magnitude earthquake in the Chinese region of Tibet. / EFE
The epicenter was located about 85 kilometers from Mount Everest, located right on the border between China and Nepal, which has been closed to the public until further notice to Ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
Tibet and other areas of western China are frequent sites of earthquakes, due to the proximity of the friction point of the asian tectonic plate with the indian one, but due to the low population density in the area, On many occasions earthquakes occur in sparsely inhabited areas.
In December 2023, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake left more than 150 dead in the neighboring region of Qinghai and in the western province of Gansu, although on that occasion the epicenter was in a county with a population density of about 265 people per square kilometer.
