Tibet earthquake: Hundreds rescued as search continues for survivors

Following a powerful earthquake in a remote area of western China, over 14,000 rescue workers have arrived in Tibet to continue searching for survivors. The earthquake has already claimed the lives of at least 126 people. According to Chinese state media, more than 400 people have been rescued since the quake struck on Tuesday. The earthquake occurred about 50 miles from the base of Mount Everest, destroying thousands of homes.

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing arrived on the scene on Wednesday to oversee rescue operations. Winter temperatures dropping to -16 degrees Celsius have made rescue efforts difficult. The region sits on a major geological fault line and is prone to earthquakes, but Tuesday's quake is one of the deadliest in China in recent years. According to the US Geological Survey, the 7.1 magnitude quake had a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) and was felt in parts of Nepal and India.

Internet access in the Tibet region is limited and tightly controlled by Beijing, and journalists are not permitted to travel there without government permission. As such, much of what is known about the earthquake and its aftermath comes from Chinese state media. The air force has been deployed, and drones have also been dispatched to assist rescue workers. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts to minimize casualties and resettle affected residents. Power and mobile phone services have been restored in Dingri County near the epicenter as of Wednesday morning, according to state media.

Official estimates indicate that over 3,600 buildings have collapsed, potentially leaving thousands homeless. Footage released by China's state broadcaster CCTV showed damaged homes and collapsed buildings in Shigatse, a holy city in Tibet, with rescue workers wading through rubble and distributing thick blankets to local residents. Sangji Dangzhi, a supermarket owner whose business was damaged in the quake, told AFP by phone that the destruction to homes was severe. "The houses here are built with mud, so when an earthquake comes... a lot of houses collapse," the 34-year-old said, adding that ambulances had been taking people to hospitals all day.

A resident of a hotel in Shigatse told Chinese media outlet The Cover that he was awakened by a violent shaking. He said he grabbed his socks and ran into the street, seeing helicopters circling overhead. "It felt like the bed was being lifted up," he said, adding that he knew immediately it was an earthquake because there had been several smaller tremors in Tibet recently. More than 40 aftershocks occurred in the first few hours after the quake. Jiang Haikun, a researcher at the China Earthquake Networks Center, told CCTV that while there may be more tremors of around magnitude 5, "the possibility of a larger earthquake is very low."

Dingri County, located at the foot of Mount Everest, is a popular base for mountaineers preparing to climb the world's highest peak. A tourism worker for a local media outlet said that Everest sightseeing tours in the area had been canceled and that the area had been closed off. They said that three tourists had been moved to a safe outdoor area. The Shigatse region is home to 800,000 people and is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, a key figure in Tibetan Buddhism whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan man recognized as the reincarnated Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was taken by China in 1995 when he was just six years old. China subsequently selected its own Panchen Lama. "I pray for those who have lost their lives and wish a speedy recovery for all those who have been injured," the current Dalai Lama said in a statement. He fled Tibet for India after China annexed the region in 1959 and has since been viewed as an alternative source of authority for Tibetans unhappy with Beijing's control, which extends to local media and internet access.

While Nepal also felt the strong tremors, there have been no reports of major damage or casualties, only "minor damage and cracks in houses," according to an official at the National Emergency Operation Centre, who spoke to BBC News. Tuesday morning's shaking sent many Kathmandu residents running out of their homes, bringing back memories of a deadly earthquake in 2015. In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Nepal's capital Kathmandu, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring over 20,000. "In 2015, when the earthquake happened, I couldn't even move," Manju Neupane, a shop owner in Kathmandu, told BBC Nepali. "Today it wasn't as scary. But, I am worried that there might be another big one and we'll be stuck between high-rise buildings."