Just after 9 a.m. on Tuesday, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake slammed the Tibet autonomous region in western China. This kills more than 95 people and injures 130 more. According to regional authorities, the earthquake caused significant damage in nearby communities.
The earthquake’s epicenter is situated in the county of Tingri near the city of Xigaze. According to the China Earthquake Networks Center. According to the broadcaster, Tibetan authorities had sent around 300 rescuers and medical personnel as part of a level 2 emergency response, which is the second-highest in a four-tiered system.
More than 500 people require evacuation and 10 people have lost their lives. Possible losses could exceed 50 million yuan (US$6.8 million), the reaction is typically provided.
“All efforts should be made to carry out search and rescues, and minimize casualties,”
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered, adding that those impacted should be kept warm and secure and relocated appropriately. On Tuesday, the temperature in Xigaze was 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit), with the potential to drop as low as -15 degrees.
In order to avert further disasters, Premier Li Qiang also issued directives to confirm the number of casualties, plan search and rescue operations, and maintain surveillance.
CCTV footage of villages in the area close to Nepal claimed that hundreds of homes had collapsed or sustained damage, trapping people beneath the debris.
Authorities in Tingri County told state news agency Xinhua stated they had assembled a rescue team made up of local officials and cadres from the housing, water conservancy, and transportation departments.
According to Xinhua, they were also planning evacuations in case of aftershocks.
The region has experienced several aftershocks, the largest of which was magnitude 4.4, according to CCTV.
On Tuesday afternoon, the People’s Liberation Army’s Western Theatre Command sent out troops and supplies on a military transport plane.
CCTV footage showed numerous individuals, including children, being hauled out from beneath the debris and many of them being transported on stretchers. Helicopters were used to transport those with severe injuries to hospitals.
Tingri County is traversed by the Qomolangma road. They lead to Mount Everest in China. According to media reports, the area has been closed, and tourist buses have been suspended. An evacuated visitor shared pictures on Weibo and wrote that their automobile shook a lot during the earthquake.
At 3,845 meters (12,615 ft) above sea level. The area is among the highest in the globe. The oxygen content is much lower there.
Local authorities say portions of two highways that link to Tingri County have been closed till further notice. Only trucks transporting supplies for earthquake assistance are permitted entry.
As China Railway inspection teams examined the area’s tracks, bridges, tunnels, signals, and powerlines, trains headed for Xigaze were also halted, according to CCTV.
Inspections have not shown any effects on the county’s reservoirs or dams, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.
CCTV shows agricultural officials were also verifying and recording the number of casualties and structural damage, as well as inspecting local winter food supplies, animal immunizations, and disinfectants.
In 2020, the primarily agricultural region of Xigaze was exempted from the poverty classification.
State Grid Corporation of China, said a team of 60 employees constructed four backup generators, restoring electricity to Tingri County by Tuesday evening.
The Lhasa block, a significant geological area in southern Tibet, has seen 21 earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or above since 1950. The strongest of these was the 2017 Milin earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.9, according to CCTV, which cited the China Earthquake Networks Centre.
A center specialist issued a warning about potential aftershocks in the days ahead.
In a CCTV demonstration, a firefighter advised viewers to be cool, stay still, and wait for rescue signals if they find themselves buried beneath debris. The firefighter suggested pounding boulders on a wall or the ground to raise awareness rather than yelling.
