Powerful earthquake rocks remote region of Tibet and parts of Nepal, killing more than 120

A powerful earthquake struck a remote region of Tibet on Tuesday morning, causing over 120 fatalities. The earthquake was felt across the Himalayas, with tremors also reported in neighboring Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of northern India. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the 7.1 magnitude quake occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), followed by numerous aftershocks.

The immense energy released by the earthquake caused houses to collapse in remote Himalayan villages, with strong tremors also felt in the nearby Tibetan holy city and by tourists at Mount Everest base camp. According to China Central Television (CCTV), the earthquake has resulted in at least 126 deaths, 188 injuries, and damage to over 3,600 homes. The epicenter was located in Dingri County on the Tibetan Plateau, near the Nepalese border, approximately 50 miles north of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.

Tremors were felt as far away as Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. “The tremors were very strong, and people ran out of their houses. You could see the electric wires on the poles were loose,” said Bishal Nath Upreti of the Nepal Disaster Management Center, a non-governmental organization in Kathmandu. In Tibet, emergency rescue departments and the Chinese military launched a large-scale rescue operation, pulling more than 400 people from the rubble. Authorities stated that over 30,000 residents have been relocated as rescuers continue to search for survivors.

The area near the epicenter is sparsely populated, but some small villages are nestled in remote and difficult-to-access Himalayan valleys. According to Xinhua News Agency, approximately 27 villages with an estimated 6,900 residents are located within a 20-kilometer (12-mile) radius of the epicenter. Footage from state media showed houses collapsed and walls caved in at villages at the foot of the mountains, with rescuers digging through the rubble by hand to search for survivors. CNN geolocated Chinese social media videos showing damaged roofs and storefronts, rubble-strewn streets, and damaged cars and motorcycles in Lhatse County, about 86 kilometers (53 miles) from the epicenter.

The nearest major city to the epicenter is Shigatse, located about 180 kilometers (111 miles) away. Shigatse, with a population of approximately 800,000, is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama, who is in exile in India, stated that he was "deeply saddened" by news of the earthquake. "I pray for those who have lost their lives and wish all those injured a speedy recovery," he said. Surveillance footage from a supermarket in Shigatse, shared by Xinhua, captured the moment the earthquake struck, with customers running out and goods falling from shelves. There have been no reports of widespread damage in the city.

Puchie, who lives in Bailang County, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the epicenter in Dingri, said she was lying in bed on Tuesday morning when she felt her room shaking and saw the lights on the ceiling start to sway. "I was really scared, so I quickly put on my clothes and ran out, and then called my family to let them know," 24-year-old Puchie told CNN. She said it was the first time she had experienced an earthquake. The China Meteorological Administration has warned local residents to take shelter from the cold and high winds, with temperatures in some areas expected to drop to below minus 18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit) in the next two days. The Shigatse regional government has dispatched thousands of tents, beds, and coats to the affected areas.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued a statement after the earthquake, calling on officials to do their utmost to rescue survivors, minimize casualties, properly resettle affected residents, and ensure their safety and warmth during the cold winter. More than 1,600 soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police have been deployed to participate in the rescue, along with military drones, helicopters, and transport aircraft. According to CCTV, the State Grid Tibet Electric Power Company has dispatched its first personnel to the affected areas to restore power. The Red Cross Society of China has allocated more than 4,600 relief items, including tents, quilts, warm coats, and folding beds, for those in need of urgent relocation. The Red Cross has also sent rescue teams to the area, according to CCTV.

Anna Guo, an 18-year-old university student traveling with a tour group, was about to leave Shigatse on Tuesday morning to head southwest to view Mount Everest when the ground began to shake violently. "I was in line, and we heard some sounds—then we realized it was an earthquake. It became stronger and stronger, and the windows started to shake," she told CNN. "We had never felt such a strong earthquake before." On Tuesday, local authorities closed the Mount Everest climbing base camp and surrounding scenic areas. Winter is not the peak season for climbing the world's highest peak, but some Chinese tourists still visit the scenic area to enjoy the spectacular views of the Himalayas.

Barrow, a staff member at the base camp, said he felt the tremors of the earthquake, but the buildings were not damaged. He said nearly 500 tourists had visited the base camp on Monday, and about 30 tourists were at the base camp when the earthquake struck, and all the tourists have been evacuated. In Nepal’s Solukhumbu district, just across the border from the Chinese county where the epicenter was located, the earthquake’s tremors brought back memories of the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near Kathmandu in 2015, killing around 9,000 people and injuring thousands more. “The tremors were very strong, and everyone was in a panic,” said Rupsh Vishwakarma, a local district official, told CNN. At a yak farm near the Nepalese Mount Everest base camp, “everything was shaking,” and the employees were “very scared,” he said.

Nepalese police stated that 13 injured people have been rescued across the country. The country’s Ministry of Home Affairs said that 10 houses were damaged, and one house was completely destroyed. According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, more than 500 aftershocks have been recorded as of Wednesday evening, including 27 with a magnitude of 3.0 or higher. Tibet is one of China's most restricted and politically sensitive regions, and access for foreign visitors remains tightly controlled. Beijing has maintained strict control over the region since the Dalai Lama fled to India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.