7.1-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Tibet, Killing 32 and Damaging Over 1,000 Homes

A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck a remote region of Tibet on Tuesday morning, killing at least 32 people and injuring 38 others, according to Chinese state media. The quake, which occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time, was centered in Tingri County, near the Himalayan border with Nepal, and was followed by multiple aftershocks.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake’s epicenter was located high on the Tibetan plateau, with tremors felt as far as Nepal and northern India. The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded the quake at a slightly lower magnitude of 6.8. The region, though sparsely populated, is home to small villages nestled in remote Himalayan valleys, making rescue efforts challenging.

State news agency Xinhua reported that more than 1,000 houses were damaged in Tingri County, with some structures collapsing entirely. Chinese social media videos geolocated by CNN showed damaged roofs, shop fronts, and debris piling up on streets in Lhatse County, approximately 86 kilometers (53 miles) from the epicenter. Surveillance footage from a supermarket in Shigatse, a major city 180 kilometers (111 miles) away, captured the moment the quake struck, with customers fleeing as goods fell from shelves.

Shigatse, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, lies about 240 miles from Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. The city is a significant cultural and religious hub, adding to the quake’s impact on the region.

Rescue teams, including the Chinese air force, have been deployed to assist in search and recovery efforts, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, with authorities working to reach remote areas affected by the disaster.

In neighboring Nepal, residents of Kathmandu, located 250 miles from the epicenter, felt the tremors but no immediate damage was reported. The Himalayan region is prone to earthquakes due to its location along the fault line between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. In the past century, there have been 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher within a 150-mile radius of Tuesday’s epicenter, according to the USGS.

This earthquake follows other devastating quakes in the region, including the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, which killed nearly 70,000 people, and the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which claimed nearly 9,000 lives and damaged nearly a million structures.