Agencies, January 7, 2025: At least 36 people have died and 38 others have been injured after a powerful earthquake struck Tibet early Tuesday morning. The 7.1 magnitude quake jolted Dingri County, located in the Xigaze city of the Tibet Autonomous Region, near the Nepal border. The earthquake, which occurred at 9:05 AM local time (01:05 GMT), was followed by multiple aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 4.4. While Reuters and Chinese news agencies confirmed that 32 people had died and 38 others were injured in the Tibet earthquake.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), the epicenter of the quake was located at 28.5 degrees North latitude and 87.45 degrees East longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). While China’s earthquake monitoring agency recorded the quake’s magnitude as 6.8, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported it as 7.1.
The tremors were felt in surrounding regions, including Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, which lies approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) away. Videos shared on social media showed widespread damage, with crumbled buildings, fallen debris, and shattered roads. In Tibet’s Dingri County, several structures near the epicenter collapsed, causing severe destruction. State broadcaster CCTV also aired footage showing destroyed houses, with walls torn apart and rubble strewn across the area.
Impact and Rescue Efforts
The earthquake’s impact was most severe in Dingri County, which is situated on the southern slopes of Mount Everest, and is home to approximately 62,000 residents. Temperatures in the area, currently around minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6°F), are expected to drop further, posing additional challenges for rescue operations. Local authorities have initiated efforts to reach out to townships in the affected areas to assess the full extent of the damage.
The earthquake also caused strong tremors in nearby towns such as Lhatse, where images from the scene showed significant structural damage. Villages in the region, particularly in the higher altitudes, were hit hard, and rescue teams have been working around the clock to retrieve survivors from the rubble.
The region is known for its seismic activity due to its proximity to the Himalayan tectonic plate boundary. While earthquakes are common, this was the strongest quake recorded in the last five years within a 200-kilometer radius of the epicenter.
Global Tremors Felt
In addition to Nepal, where residents were awakened by the tremors, the quake was also felt in parts of India, particularly in Bihar state, though no injuries have been reported from these regions. The tremors also reached the high-altitude region around Lobuche, near Everest, where government official Jagat Prasad Bhusal reported strong shaking but no significant damage or casualties.
Previous Earthquake History
This earthquake is a stark reminder of the devastating seismic risks in the region. In 2015, Nepal was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people and injured over 22,000, while also destroying more than half a million homes. Though the magnitude of this latest earthquake is slightly lower, the impact on Tibet’s mountainous regions, combined with the harsh weather conditions, has made recovery efforts difficult.
In recent years, the region has also seen several other significant earthquakes, including a deadly 7.0-magnitude quake along the China-Kyrgyzstan border in January 2024, which killed three people and injured dozens. In December 2023, a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Gansu province, China, resulted in 148 deaths and displaced thousands of people, with sub-zero temperatures complicating the relief efforts.
The current death toll from the Tibet earthquake is expected to rise as rescue operations continue and the full extent of the damage is assessed. Local authorities, along with the Ministry of Emergency Management, are coordinating efforts to provide aid to the affected communities, with search and rescue teams deployed to the worst-hit areas.