Beijing, Jan 7 – A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck Xigaze in Tibet, China, on Tuesday, killing at least 53 people and injuring 62 others. The tremor, which hit Dingri County at 9:05 am Beijing Time, also caused strong aftershocks that were felt in neighboring Nepal, prompting widespread panic as people rushed out of their homes.
The epicenter of the quake was located in Tibet’s Xizang region, about 90 km northeast of Lobutse in Nepal’s Khumbu range. The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the magnitude as 7.1, but China’s Earthquake Networks Centre confirmed it at 6.8. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km.
In Nepal, the tremors were felt most strongly in Kathmandu, where people fled their homes in fear. The quake also impacted several districts including Kavrepalanchwok, Sindhupalanchok, Dhading, and Solukhumbu. Numerous aftershocks, ranging from magnitudes of 4 to 5, were recorded in the following hour.
Although the tremors rekindled memories of the 2015 Nepal earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people, Nepalese authorities reported no major physical damage or casualties so far. However, stronger tremors were experienced in northern Nepal, particularly in areas close to Tibet.
