Tents arrive for survivors of a quake that killed 126 in freezing, high-altitude Tibet

Following the earthquake in western China, the focus of rescue teams has shifted from searching for survivors to resettling displaced residents. Currently, relief supplies such as tents, quilts, and stoves are being transported to the affected areas to assist those whose homes are uninhabitable or unsafe. According to state media reports, the earthquake has resulted in 126 deaths, 188 injuries, and the relocation of over 46,000 people.

The earthquake struck a remote county in Shigatse City, Tibet, which is the second-largest city in Tibet and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest religious leader in Tibetan Buddhism. It is currently unclear whether the Panchen Lama was at the Tashilhunpo Monastery when the earthquake occurred. The epicenter was located approximately 25 kilometers from Shigatse City, which is situated on a high-altitude plain.

More than 500 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquake. The United States Geological Survey measured the earthquake at a magnitude of 7.1, while the China Earthquake Networks Center measured it at 6.8. The epicenter was approximately 75 kilometers from Mount Everest and the Nepalese border, and the earthquake was also felt in Nepal. Earthquakes are common for Tibetans living on the Tibetan Plateau and its peripheries.

In Dharamsala, India, approximately 200 Tibetans lit candles and marched along two main streets, praying and holding signs to express their condolences for the victims and to call for aid. Dharamsala is the residence of the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, who fled Tibet in 1959 during an uprising against Chinese rule. In Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, about 50 Tibetans prayed at a Buddhist temple. A shopkeeper, Riya Tamang, stated, "We are praying for the many people who lost their lives in the earthquake in Tibet yesterday."

The issue of the Panchen Lama's status has been a point of contention between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama's followers since the disappearance of a boy appointed by the Dalai Lama in the mid-1990s. The Chinese government approved a candidate it supports as the Panchen Lama, but the Dalai Lama has refused to recognize the current Panchen Lama. The Dalai Lama’s website announced that he will lead a prayer ceremony in Dharamsala on Thursday to mourn the victims.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jia Kun, when asked about the prayer ceremony, stated, "We are very clear about the separatist nature and political plots of the Dalai Lama and remain highly vigilant." He expressed confidence that under the "strong leadership" of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, those affected by the earthquake would be able to rebuild their homes. Videos broadcast by China Central Television showed workers setting up metal-framed tents for survivors to live in. These tents are lined with cotton pads to protect against the cold weather in the region, which has an average altitude of approximately 4,200 meters and where nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing.

Hong Li, director of the Tibet Autonomous Region Emergency Management Department, stated at a press conference late Wednesday afternoon that the focus had shifted from search and rescue to resettlement and reconstruction. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, while visiting survivors, called for accelerating post-disaster reconstruction to ensure they could be safe and warm this winter. According to Xinhua News Agency, preliminary investigations show that over 3,600 homes collapsed.

At the time of the earthquake, Tsering Phuntsok, the party secretary of Gurong village, told Xinhua that at least 22 of the village’s 222 residents had died, including his 74-year-old mother. “When the earthquake happened, even young people could not run out of their houses, let alone the elderly and children,” the local leader said. Tibet is generally closed to foreign journalists due to controversies surrounding the Chinese government’s treatment of Tibetans.