Powerful earthquake in Tibet: more than 50 victims
Kyiv • UNN
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake in the holy city of Shigajie has killed 53 people and injured 62 others. Chinese authorities have launched a large-scale rescue operation in the region, where power and water have been cut off.
At least 53 people were killed as a result of a strong earthquake in Tibet that occurred on the morning of January 7, the Chinese state agency Xinhua reports UNN.
At least 62 other people were injured in the quake. According to the China Seismological Network Center, tremors of magnitude 6.8 were recorded in the holy city of Shigadze, Tibet.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and a depth of 10 kilometers.
According to the BBC, the Chinese Air Force has begun rescue operations and sent drones to the affected area. Power and water have been cut off in the region.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also called for comprehensive search and rescue efforts to minimize the number of casualties and relocate affected residents.
Although the tremors were felt in Nepal, no damage or casualties were reported, a local official in Nepal's Namche region, near Mount Everest, told AFP.
The region, which is located near of the great fault line of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, is home to frequent seismic activity. In 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, killed nearly 9,000 people and injured more than 20,000.
