A 6.8 magnitude earthquake of magnitude recorded this Tuesday in Tingri county in the western Chinese region of the Tibet has caused at least 36 dead and 38 people injuredaccording to local newspaper Nanfang Daily.
The earthquake occurred at 09:05 local time (01:05 GMT) in Tingri county of Shigatse prefecture at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the China Seismological Networks Center.
Of the 36 deceased, 32 were in the Tingri Countythe most affected and where more than 1,000 homes also collapsed. Of the rest of the victims, at least two were reported in nearby Lhaze County.
Emergency services have traveled to the area
After the earthquake, the Earthquake Command and Disaster Relief Office of the State Council (Chinese Executive) and the Ministry of Emergency Management launched a emergency device and they sent a working group to the earthquake zone to guide the anti-seismic and relief work.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, local fire crews have mobilized more than 1,500 troops for the search and rescue tasks for survivors.
Tingri County, which has a population density of 4.2 people per square kilometer, is located at the foot of the Himalayas and has an average altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level, according to official information from the local government.
According to weather forecasts, temperatures in the county are expected to reach a minimum of 16 degrees below zero and a maximum of 3 degrees.
Mount Everest has been closed to the public
He epicenter was located about 85 kilometers from Mount Everestlocated right on the border between China and Nepal, which has been closed to the public until further notice to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
Tibet and other areas of western China are frequent sites of earthquakes, due to proximity of the friction point of the asian tectonic plate with india, But due to the low population density in the area, earthquakes often occur in sparsely inhabited areas.
In December 2023a 6.2 magnitude tremor left more than 150 dead in the neighboring region of Qinghai and in the western province of Gansu, although on that occasion the epicenter was located in a county with a population density of about 265 people per square kilometer.
