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Phoebe Zhang

The death toll from a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in western China’s Tibet autonomous region continued to rise on Tuesday night, with at least 126 dead and scores more injured.
The epicentre of the earthquake, which hit just after 9am on Tuesday, was in the county of Tingri near the city of Xigaze – also known as Shigatse – the China Earthquake Networks Centre said.


Authorities in Tibet sent hundreds of emergency rescue and medical staff, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed that “all efforts should be made to carry out searches and rescues, and to minimise casualties”, adding that those affected should be kept safe and warm, and properly resettled.


The temperature in Xigaze on Tuesday was 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit), and was forecast to fall to -15 degrees during the night. The city had a population of nearly 800,000 in 2020.
Premier Li Qiang also gave instructions to verify casualty numbers, organise search and rescue missions, and continue monitoring to prevent secondary disasters.
In Hong Kong, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu offered condolences to the families of the deceased.
“The government will also stay in close contact with relief and disaster assistance organisations and stand ready to provide appropriate assistance through the disaster relief fund,” Lee said on social media on Tuesday, adding the authorities had not received any reports of Hong Kong residents seeking help.

Villages in the region near Nepal reported that thousands of homes had collapsed or were damaged, with people trapped under the rubble, CCTV said, citing authorities.
Tingri county authorities told state news agency Xinhua that they had formed a rescue party consisting of cadres from transport, water conservancy and housing departments, as well as village officials.

They were also organising evacuations in case of aftershocks, Xinhua reported.
Multiple aftershocks had hit the area, the biggest measuring magnitude 4.4, CCTV said.
The Western Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army dispatched personnel and supplies on a Y-20 military transport aircraft on Tuesday afternoon.
It sent a drone to the epicentre in the morning soon after the earthquake as well as two helicopters later in the day.
More than 1,000 military and armed police personnel have been sent to the affected area, with another 1,000 preparing to give further help, Xinhua reported.

CCTV footage showed multiple people being pulled from under the rubble, including children, with many being carried on stretchers. Those with serious injuries were taken to hospitals by helicopter.
The road to Mount Everest, known as Mount Qomolangma in China, runs through Tingri county. The area was closed, and tourist bus services suspended, according to reports. A tourist who had been evacuated posted photos on social media, saying that their car had shaken violently when the quake hit.

The area is one of the world’s highest regions, with an altitude of 3,845 metres (12,615 feet), making breathing more difficult than at sea level.
Sections of two highways leading to Tingri county – a largely agricultural area – had been closed until further notice, local police said, adding that only vehicles carrying earthquake relief supplies were allowed in.
Trains services into Xigaze were also suspended, as China Railway inspection teams checked tracks, bridges, tunnels, signals and powerlines in the region, CCTV reported.
The Ministry of Water Resources said inspections had not revealed any effects on dams or reservoirs in the county.
Agricultural authorities were also checking local winter food supplies, animal vaccines and disinfectants, as well as confirming and documenting casualty numbers and structural damage, CCTV said.
Electricity had been restored in Tingri county by Tuesday evening, the State Grid Corporation of China said, after a team of 60 staff installed four backup generators.
Since 1950, there have been 21 earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or above in the Lhasa block – a key geological region in southern Tibet – with the biggest being the magnitude 6.9 Milin earthquake in 2017, CCTV reported.
An expert at the earthquake centre warned of possible aftershocks in the coming days.
In a public service message on CCTV, a firefighter said that if people found themselves trapped under rubble, they should stay calm, avoid movement, and wait for rescue signals. Instead of shouting, the firefighter advised banging rocks against a wall or the ground to alert nearby workers.
Additional reporting by Oscar Liu


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People sift through rubble in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in China’s southern Tibet autonomous region on Tuesday morning. Photo: Xinhua 

Search and rescue crews have been deployed in Tibet after a deadly earthquake struck Tuesday morning. Photo: Weibo

More than 100 people were injured in Tuesday’s earthquake with many flown to regional hospitals, authorities said. Photo: Weibo

Villages have reported extensive damage after Tuesday’s deadly earthquake in Tibet. Photo: Weibo

Rescuers near Xigaze, in southwest China’s Tibet autonomous region, search for earthquake victims after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake jolted the region on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Tremors felt in Hong Kong as earthquake strikes Taiwan

The Tsim Sha Tsui promenade. The Observatory said  initial estimates placed the local intensity at II on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, meaning the tremors could be felt by people at rest or on upper floors of buildings. Photo: Nora Tam

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The Hotel Fouquet, already damaged by the deadly earthquake on April 3, collapsed when aftershocks struck Hualien county on Taiwan’s east coast on Tuesday morning. Photo: CNA

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China

Hundreds of emergency workers have been deployed amid reports of extensive damage


Hundreds of emergency workers have been deployed amid reports of extensive damage.


Tibet