At least 126 people were killed in Tibet on Tuesday after a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake centered around 80 miles from Mount Everest, according to reports.
Another 188 people were injured on the Chinese side of the border, the Associated Press reported, citing Xinhua news agency.
Rescuers climbed piles of broken bricks and some used ladders in hard-hit villages as the search for survivors continued. More than 1,000 homes are believed to have been damaged in the area.
A video posted by China’s Ministry of Emergency Management showed the two men being carried away on stretchers by workers stepping over the uneven rubble of a collapsed house.
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People stand between damaged houses in the aftermath of an earthquake in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, Tuesday, January 7, 2025. (Xinhua/AP)
Residents of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, about 140 miles from the epicenter, were also woken up by the morning quake and rushed out of their homes onto the streets.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 7.1 and was relatively shallow at about 6 miles deep. The epicenter was in Tingri prefecture, Tibet.
Rescue teams scavenge through rubble in the aftermath of an earthquake in Shigatse, Tibet, Tuesday, January 7, 2025. (Tibet Fire Rescue/Reuters)
According to the Associated Press, about 50 aftershocks were recorded in the three hours after the quake, and the Everest scenic spot on the Chinese side was closed.
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People rushed to evacuate their homes in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Tuesday after an earthquake struck. (AP/Sunil Sharma)
More than 3,000 rescue workers have been dispatched to the area for disaster relief, the news agency said, citing CCTV.
About 7,000 people live in three townships and 27 villages within 20.5 miles of the epicenter on the Chinese side, state media added. 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 seen by The Associated Press showed water spilling onto a road from a pond in the courtyard of a small temple.
Rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changshuo town, southwest China, Tuesday, January 7, 2025. (Xinhua/AP)
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“It’s a big earthquake,” a woman’s voice can be heard saying. “The people are all shaking.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
