A Huge Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Struck Tibet, Killing At Least 126 People
The earthquake was felt in Nepal, parts of China and India.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet near its border with Nepal, killing at least 126 people and injuring at least 188, with people across neighboring Nepal, Bhutan and India also feeling tremors.
The quake hit at 9:05 am local time at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
China reported the earthquake as a 6.8-magnitude tremor.
At least 40 aftershocks followed the quake in just an hour, with the strongest measuring 4.9 in magnitude.
The quake’s epicenter was in Tingri County, a rural area on the Tibetan plateau near the Nepal border, where the tremors damaged more than 1,000 houses, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.
Videos on Chinese social media, verified by CNN, showed damaged buildings, shops and debris in Lhatse County, about 86 km (53 miles) from the epicenter.
The quake also damaged cars and motorcycles parked along the streets.
The Chinese government also deployed as many as 1,500 rescue workers to search through rubble to find survivors, many of whom were trapped under collapsed buildings.
Footage showed them giving blankets to locals to help them stay warm.
People also felt tremors in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, which is about 400 km (250 miles) from the epicenter, where they evacuated out of their houses and buildings.
But authorities did not report any deaths in the country.
People in Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, and in Bihar, a northern Indian state bordering Nepal, also felt the quake.
Earthquakes often strike Nepal, southwestern parts of China and India because of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, according to Reuters.
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