The numbers are dead as a 7.1 earthquake hits Tibet

At least 53 people have been confirmed dead and 62 injured after a massive earthquake hit the mountainous region of Tibet on Tuesday morning, Chinese state media reported.

The earthquake that struck the Tibetan holy city of Shigatse at around 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT) had a magnitude of 7.1 and a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), according to data from the US Geological Survey, which also showed a series of . of earthquakes in the area.

Tremors were also felt in neighboring Nepal and parts of India.

Earthquakes are common in the area, which lies on a major geological fault line.

Shigatse is considered one of the holiest cities in Tibet. It is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, an important figure in Tibetan Buddhism whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.

The Tingri region, located near the epicenter, is a popular destination for climbers preparing to climb Mount Everest.

A tour of Mount Everest in Tingri, which was scheduled for Tuesday morning, has been cancelled, tourism officials told local media, adding that the observatory has been completely closed.

There were three visitors in the viewing area who were all moved to an outside area for safety, they said.

Chinese media reported the quake as having a magnitude of less than 6.8, causing “apparent” tremors and resulting in the damage of more than 1,000 houses. There were several strong aftershocks.

Jiang Haikun, a researcher at the China Earthquake Networks Center, told CCTV, China’s national television broadcaster, that while another magnitude 5 earthquake could occur, “the chance of a major earthquake is low”.

Since China’s occupation of Tibet in the 1950s, it has maintained tight control over the autonomous region, including its media sources and Internet access.

Social media from the area hit by the earthquake on Tuesday showed collapsed buildings.

A resident of a hotel in Shigatse told Chinese media Fengmian News that he was woken up by the tremors. He said he took his socks and went out into the street, and saw helicopters circling overhead.

“It was as if even the bed was being lifted,” he said, adding that he immediately knew it was an earthquake because Tibet has recently experienced many small earthquakes.

China’s air force has launched rescue efforts and drones in the affected area, which lies below Mount Everest and where temperatures are below freezing.

Both electricity and water in the region have been cut off.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also called for all search and rescue efforts to minimize casualties and resettle affected residents.

While the quake was felt in Nepal, no damage or injuries were reported, a local official in Namche, near Everest, told AFP.

District, nearby the main fault line of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, is home to frequent earthquakes. In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, killed nearly 9,000 people and injured more than 20,000.