The death toll from the devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday has climbed to 126. With more than 3,600 homes destroyed, the number of casualties is expected to rise further. In response, Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a full-scale effort to minimize further loss of life, and over 10,000 rescue workers have been deployed to assist in the recovery operations.
According to Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, the earthquake struck Dingri County in Shigatse City at 9:05 AM local time on Tuesday. By 7:00 PM the same day, authorities confirmed 126 deaths and 188 injuries. More than 3,600 homes were destroyed, displacing over 30,000 people. While China’s Earthquake Networks Center recorded the quake at a magnitude of 6.8, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured it at 7.1, and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) rated it at 7.0. The tremors were felt as far as Nepal and India, with Nepal’s Naya Patrika reporting that around 10 homes in its mountainous regions were damaged and 13 people were injured.
Authorities are growing concerned about the potential for more damage, as 515 aftershocks had been recorded by Wednesday morning. According to China’s Earthquake Networks Center, there have been three aftershocks greater than magnitude 4.0, 24 between magnitudes 3.0 and 3.9, and 488 smaller quakes below magnitude 3.0.
More than 12,000 personnel, including forest fire brigades, armed police, public security officers, and military units, are conducting search and rescue operations. Authorities have established 14 shelters, evacuating more than 30,400 people and rescuing 407 citizens. To help those affected by the cold, reaching temperatures as low as -14°C (6.8°F), 170,000 emergency supplies, including blankets, winter clothing, heaters, stoves, and folding beds, have been urgently dispatched. Xi has emphasized the need to focus on search and rescue, medical care for the injured, and preventing further damage.
Reports of the devastating impact of the earthquake are circulating quickly on Chinese social media platforms like Weibo. Videos showing collapsed buildings and products falling from supermarket shelves have gone viral, with online users offering condolences. Analysts believe traditional Tibetan houses, particularly vulnerable to strong tremors, have sustained significant damage.
The region, located in southwestern China and bordering northern India and Nepal, has a long history of seismic activity due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. In 2008, a catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan Province killed approximately 70,000 people. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Kathmandu in 2015 also killed around 9,000 people.
Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, expressed his deep sorrow upon hearing the news: “I pray for those who lost their lives and wish for a swift recovery for the injured.” The earthquake struck Dingri County, home to Tashilhunpo Monastery, a major center of Tibetan Buddhism. However, no reports of damage to the monastery have emerged.