In a tragic turn of events, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck Tibet near the Nepalese border early Tuesday morning, claiming 126 lives and leaving 188 others injured, according to Chinese media reports cited by AFP. The quake’s tremors were felt across several Indian states, including Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal.
Chinese state-owned Xinhua news agency reported, “Fifty-three people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region at 9:05 am Tuesday.”
Earthquake Details and Aftershocks
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) recorded the earthquake at 6:35 am IST. Subsequent to the initial quake, two more earthquakes hit the region within a short span:
- Second Earthquake: Magnitude 4.7, recorded at 7:02 am IST, at a depth of 10 km (Latitude: 28.60 N, Longitude: 87.68 E).
- Third Earthquake: Magnitude 4.9, recorded at 7:07 am IST, at a depth of 30 km (Latitude: 28.68 N, Longitude: 87.54 E).
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Impact on India
Although the tremors were widely felt across northern and northeastern India, particularly in Bihar, there have been no reports of damage to property. Eyewitness accounts described people rushing out of their homes and apartments in panic.
The Himalayan region, including Nepal and Tibet, lies on the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it prone to seismic activity. In 2015, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, leading to nearly 9,000 fatalities and injuring more than 22,000 people. The quake caused massive destruction, with over half a million homes reduced to rubble.
