A powerful earthquake struck China’s remote Tibet region on Tuesday, January 7, killing at least 53 people and trapping many others beneath collapsed buildings. The quake triggered dozens of aftershocks, shaking parts of western China and neighboring Nepal.
Footage from China’s state broadcaster CCTV revealed widespread destruction, with homes reduced to rubble and walls torn apart. Rescue teams navigated through debris, providing blankets to affected residents to shield them from the cold.
Surveillance videos showed people fleeing a store as shelves shook violently, causing items to crash to the ground. In Lhatse, geolocated videos by AFP depicted streets littered with debris in front of local eateries.
The earthquake, measuring 6.8 in magnitude according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), struck Dingri County near the Nepal border at 9:05 am (0105 GMT). The U.S. Geological Survey recorded it as a magnitude 7.1 tremor.
By noon, the official Xinhua News Agency confirmed 53 fatalities and 62 injuries. Over 1,000 homes sustained varying levels of damage, with many buildings near the epicenter collapsing, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “full-scale search and rescue efforts, minimizing casualties, and ensuring the safety and warmth of affected residents through the winter,” CCTV reported.
Local authorities are assessing the quake’s impact across townships in Dingri County, where temperatures hover around -8°C (17.6°F) and are expected to drop to -18°C (0°F) later tonight, the China Meteorological Administration said.
Disaster relief supplies, including cotton tents, quilts, and cold-weather essentials, have been dispatched by central authorities to support the impacted areas, Xinhua added.
