Get Instant Loan up to ₹10 Lakh!
Tibet Earthquake: A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 95 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the remote region.
Later in the day, China reported at least 126 deaths and 188 injuries in Tibet following an earthquake, according to Xinhua.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). China's Earthquake Networks Center recorded the magnitude as 6.8. Shallow earthquakes often cause more damage.
Several video were shared on social media platforms documenting the damage, and the massive jolts that wreaked havoc in the Tibetan plateau today.
One video was also shared on social media platforms, which was claimed to be in China, during the earthquake. (PS: Mint could not independently verify the claim)
A video filmed by an eyewitness has been shared by news agency Reuters, capturing the destruction caused by the Tibet earthquake. In the video, rubble is seen on the road due to the collapse of the shops.
According to a Reuters report, the earthquake's epicentre was about 80 km (50 miles) north of Mount Everest.
The epicenter was in Tibet's Tingri county, where the India and Eurasia plates grind against each other and can cause earthquakes strong enough to change the heights of some of the world’s tallest peaks in the Himalayan mountains.
The China Earthquake Networks Centre located the epicentre at Tingri county, known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
There have been 10 earthquakes of at least magnitude 6 in the area where Tuesday’s quake hit over the past century, the USGS said.
About 150 aftershocks were recorded in the nine hours after the earthquake, and the Mount Everest scenic area on the Chinese side was closed.
About 6,900 people live in three townships and 27 villages within 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) of the epicenter on the Chinese side, state media said. The average altitude in the area is about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), the Chinese earthquake center said in a social media post.
(With agency inputs)
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.