A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has hit Tibet killing at least 120 people, injuring a further 188.
The earthquake took place 80 kilometres away from the base of Mount Everest in the city of Shigatse. It was also felt in neighbouring countries Nepal and India, while reaching a depth of 10 kilometres. This is shallow for an earthquake.
Over 14,000 rescue workers have been deployed in the area to find survivors. They have rescued 400 people so far. However, rescue efforts have been hindered by regional temperatures falling to-16C.
Estimates from Chinese state-run media People’s Daily say at least 3.600 buildings were destroyed. Many houses were made from basic material such as mud, according to a local supermarket owner.
Because of its location on a fault line, the Southwest of China and Nepal are vulnerable to earthquakes. The Shigatse earthquake was China’s deadliest since the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, which killed 90,000 people.
Climbs up Mount Everest have been cancelled for safety reasons.
Developing information on the earthquake is slow due to the remoteness of the area and the dominance of state-run media.
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Third year journalism student. 2025/2026 Lifestyle and Comment Editor at Brig. Published in The Yucatán Times, Mi Campeche and The Mourning Paper. Host of From the 40s with Air3Radio.
