Tibet earthquake: President Xi orders all-out rescue operation after 50 killed

The death toll reached 53 after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit China’s Tibet region on Tuesday. Chinese state media, Xinhua, reported that President Xi Jinping ordered full-scale rescue operations following heavy casualties in the Autonomous region. At least 68 people have been injured, with officials indicating that the death toll could increase further.

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Chinese Military Deploys Drone for Earthquake Relief

After the deadly Tibet earthquake, the Chinese military sent a drone to survey the epicenter, as stated by the PLA Western Theater Command. The air force quickly activated a disaster relief plan. A team of transport and medical planes, helicopters, and ground forces is ready to assist with relief efforts, according to state media.

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Discrepancy in Earthquake Magnitude Reports by USGS, India, and China

The USGS and India’s National Earthquake Centre reported the earthquake magnitude as 7.1, with the epicenter in Tingri county, Xizang, China, 90 km northeast of Lobutse in the Khumbu Himalayas of Nepal. China, however, recorded the magnitude as 6.8. The China Earthquake Networks Centre stated the quake occurred at a depth of 10 km, according to Xinhua.

The average altitude in the area around the epicenter is about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), as per the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. It also stated that there were a few communities within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the epicenter, which was 380 kilometers (240 miles) from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet and about 23 kilometers (14 miles) from the region’s second-largest city of Xigaze.

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Earthquake hits Kathmandu

A strong earthquake jolted Kathmandu on Tuesday. The earthquake measuring 7.1 magnitude on the Richter scale was recorded by the National Earthquake Measurement Centre at 6:50 am.

Earthquake jolts Bihar

Earthquake tremors were felt in Bihar on Tuesday morning in several districts including the capital Patna and Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Munger, and others.