Tibet earthquake: At least 53 Dead, 62 injured as 7.1 magnitude quake jolts Himalayan region, tremors felt in parts of India

A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the northern foothills of the Himalayas early Tuesday, resulting in at least 53 fatalities and more than 62 injuries. The epicentre of the quake was located in Tingri, a rural area known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

Initially reported by national broadcaster CCTV, nine deaths were confirmed on the Tibetan side, but subsequent updates have revealed that the toll has risen significantly as rescue efforts continue.

The quake, which occurred at 9:05 am local time (0105 GMT), was felt across a vast region, impacting communities in Tibet and sending tremors as far as Nepal and Bhutan.

Witnesses in Tingri reported intense shaking, which was followed by a series of aftershocks, some reaching magnitudes of 4.4. Videos circulating on social media showcased crumbling shop fronts and debris littering roads in nearby towns, including Lhatse. 

Local officials are engaged in ongoing efforts to assess the damage and locate any casualties in collaboration with neighbouring towns. China's state-run Xinhua news agency confirmed these operations, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Tremors were felt as far away as Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, approximately 400 km (250 miles) from the epicentre, prompting residents to flee their homes in alarm. Anoj Raj Ghimire, a chief district officer in Solukhumbu district near Mount Everest, reported no immediate injuries or property damage but stated that authorities had mobilized police and local teams to gather information.

"I was sleeping. The bed was shaking, and I thought my child was moving the bed. I didn’t pay that much attention, but the shaking of the window confirmed to me that it was an earthquake. I then hurriedly called my child, evacuated the house, and went to the open ground," a resident of Kathmandu told the news agency ANI.

The quake also affected Bhutan's capital, Thimphu, and the northern Indian state of Bihar, which borders Nepal, although Indian officials have reported no damage or casualties so far. 

The region is seismically active due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, experiencing significant earthquake events in the past, including a devastating 2008 quake in Sichuan province, which resulted in nearly 70,000 deaths, and a 2015 magnitude 7.8 quake near Kathmandu that claimed approximately 9,000 lives.

(With Reuters inputs)