Earthquake in Tibet kills dozens, many trapped in rubble

BEIJING — A powerful earthquake struck Tibet on Tuesday, killing at least 95 people and trapping many others, and triggered dozens of aftershocks in high-altitude areas of western China and along the border with Nepal.

A further 130 people were injured, regional officials said at a brief press conference, CCTV reported.

CCTV footage showed rescue workers in orange clad in orange climbing up mountains of debris blocking houses in a badly damaged village, while debris from buildings littered streets and crushed buildings. cars from other areas.

In addition to the death toll, about 1,000 houses were damaged and 130 people were injured, state media quoted the Tibet Earthquake Relief Command as saying.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). China recorded a magnitude of 6.8.

The epicenter was about 75 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Mount Everest, straddling the China-Nepal border. The region is seismically active and is where the Indian and Eurasian plates collide, causing the Himalayas to rise with enough force to change the height of some of the world's highest peaks.

About 50 aftershocks were recorded within three hours after the earthquake, and the Mount Everest scenic spot on the Chinese side was closed after the earthquake.

The Department of Emergency Management said about 1,500 fire and rescue personnel were deployed to search for people. According to CCTV, 200 soldiers participated in the search.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping. It is required to go all out to provide disaster relief, reduce casualties and properly resettle the affected people. Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing of the State Council came to guide the work.

CCTV said there were a handful of communities within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the epicenter, which was 380 kilometers (240 miles) from the Tibetan capital Lhasa and about 23 kilometers (14 miles) from the region's second largest city, Shigatse, known in Chinese as Shigatse.

The China Seismological Network Center posted on social media that the average altitude in the area around the epicenter was about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet).

In Nepal, authorities asked officials in mountains near the epicenter to search for casualties or damage.

The National Emergency Operations Center in Kathmandu said the strong earthquake was felt in northeastern Nepal, but there were no reports of injuries or damage to homes.

A police officer in the Solukhumbu region, where Everest is located, said by phone that there had been no reports of damage. The area is often crowded with climbers and hikers, but is deserted in the depths of winter. Many residents moved south to escape the harsh winters.

The earthquake, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the epicenter in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, woke residents and forced them to run out of their homes and into the streets.

The USGS said Tuesday's quake occurred in an area that has seen 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above in the past century.

—— Associated Press writer Binaj Gurubacharya in Kathmandu, Nepal, and researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report.