The multiple earthquakes which rocked Tibet’s Xizang region on Tuesday, has now accounted for the lives of 126 people, while rescue workers are braving biting cold weather conditions to save those stuck under debris, media reports said.
The region has been registering repeated aftershocks with the last being measured at 1.14 pm, as per data released by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).
The quake measured 5.3 on the Richter Scale. The strongest measured 7.1 on the Richter Scale on Tuesday.
The epicentre of the quake was located close to the Nepal border.
Meanwhile, China’s President Xi Jinping has directed authorities to conduct all-out rescue operations to prevent further casualties.
According to reports, the rugged terrain and remote location of the region is hindering the rescue operation.
More than 1,000 houses have been damaged in the sparsely populated Himalayan region which has left a large number of people homeless.
There are 27 villages and approximately 6,900 people within a 20-km radius of the epicenter, reported Xinhua news agency.
A preliminary survey shows 3,609 houses have collapsed, said the city government of Xigaze, adding that 407 trapped people have been rescued and over 30,000 affected residents have been relocated, the Chinese news agency reported.
Pasang Tsering, a villager from Metog Village in Tsogo, said he never experienced such massive earthquakes before.
“We’re now most concerned with where to spend the night. The village has some spare tents, and officials said more are on the way,” he told Xinhua.
The tremors of the quake was also felt in Nepal, Bangladesh and several cities in India.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is profoundly saddened by the devastating loss of life caused by the earthquake that struck the Tibet Autonomous Region of China on Tuesday, his Spokesperson said in a statement.
