Earthquake 6.8 Scale Richer Landa Tibet: 53 People Killed, Shocks Feel In Three Countries

JAKARTA - At least 53 people died as a result of the Richter-scale 6.8 earthquake that rocked the north Himalayan hill leg near one of Tibet's holiest cities on Tuesday, Chinese authorities said, with shocks felt to three neighboring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and India.

The earthquake that occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time had an epicenter in Tingri, a rural area of China known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the China Earthquake Network Center.

Tuesday's epicenter was about 80 km (50 miles) north of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain and popular destinations for climbers and pedestrians.

The villages in Tingri, which have an average height of about 4,000-5,000 meters (13,000-16,000 feet), reported strong shocks during the earthquake, which were followed by dozens of aftershocks with a force of up to 4.4.

China's Xinhua news agency reported that at least 53 people were killed and 62 injured in the Tibetan region as a result of the earthquake.

Meanwhile, Nepal's National Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Agency (NDRMA) said the quake was felt in seven hilly districts bordering Tibet.

"So far we have not received any information about the loss of lives and property," NDRMA spokesman Dizan Bhattarai told Reuters. "We have deployed police, security forces, and local governments to gather information," he said.

Many villages in Nepal's border areas, which have a rare, remote population and can only be reached on foot.

The impact of the earthquake was felt throughout the Shigatse region of Tibet, which is inhabited by 800,000 people. The region is managed by the city of Shigatse, the traditional residence of Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping said maximum search and rescue efforts must be carried out to minimize casualties, put back the people who were properly affected, and ensure a safe and warm winter.

More than 1,500 firefighters and local rescue workers have been sent to affected areas, Xinhua reported.

About 22,000 items including cotton tents, cotton mantles, blankets and folding beds have also been sent to areas hit by the earthquake, he said.

Tuesday's quake was also felt in Kathmandu, Nepal about 400 km (250 miles) from the epicenter, making the city's residents run out of the house.

One person was injured in Kathmandu when he jumped from the top of the house after feeling a strong vibration, said Nepal Police spokesman Bishwa Adhikari. The man was hospitalized.

The earthquake also rocked Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan and the northern Indian state of Bihar bordering Nepal.

So far, there have been no reports of damage or loss of property, officials in India and Bhutan said.

It is known that the southwestern regions of China, Nepal, and northern India are often hit by earthquakes caused by collisions of Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Meanwhile, winter is not a popular season for climbers and pedestrians in Nepal, with a German climber becoming the only mountaineer to have permission to climb Mount Everest.

"He has left the base camp after failing to reach the top," said Lilathar Awasthi, an official at the Tourism Department.