A strong earthquake shook the highlands of western China and parts of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of homes, littering streets with debris and killing at least 126 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped as dozens of aftershocks rocked remote areas.
Rescue workers climbed piles of broken bricks, some using ladders in badly damaged villages, searching for survivors. A video posted by China’s Ministry of Emergency Management shows two people being carried on stretchers by workers over the rubble of a collapsed house.
At least 188 people were injured on the Chinese side of the Tibetan border, state news agency Xinhua said.
AP
More than 1,000 homes were damaged in the barren and sparsely populated area, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Video posted by the broadcaster showed building debris strewn across the road and cars crushed.
The quake was felt strongly by people in northeastern Nepal, but there were no initial reports of injuries or damage, according to the country’s National Emergency Management Center. The area around Everest, about 80 miles southwest of the epicenter, was deserted in the middle of winter, and even some residents had moved to escape the cold.
The earthquake woke residents of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, about 140 miles from the epicenter, and sent them out onto the streets.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 7.1 and was relatively shallow at about 9 miles deep. The China Earthquake Network Center recorded a magnitude of 6.8. Shallow earthquakes often cause more damage.
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The epicenter was in Tibet’s Tingri province, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates were rubbing against each other, potentially causing an earthquake strong enough to change the height of the world’s highest peak in the Himalayas.
Although Tibet is part of China, the loyalty of many Tibetans lies with the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader who has lived in exile in India since the failed anti-China uprising in 1959. Western governments and human rights groups have repeatedly criticized the Chinese government. Tibet has invested heavily in economic development while cracking down on dissent.
The area where Tuesday’s quake occurred has seen at least 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater in the past 100 years, according to the USGS.
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Approximately 150 aftershocks were recorded in the nine hours after the earthquake, and the Everest scenic spot on the Chinese side was closed.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for all efforts to rescue people, minimize casualties and resettle those whose homes were damaged. More than 3,000 rescue workers were called in, according to CCTV.
Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing was sent to the area to guide the work, and the government announced that it would allocate $13.6 million for disaster relief.
According to state media, about 6,900 people live in three townships and 27 villages within 19.5 miles of the epicenter on the Chinese side. The average elevation in the area is about 13,800 feet, the China Earthquake Center said in a social media post.
In the southwest corner of Kathmandu, video showed water spilling onto the street from a pond in the courtyard of a small temple.
“It’s a big earthquake. Everyone is shaking,” a woman’s voice can be heard saying.
