China | The roof of the world shakes

A big earthquake causes destruction in Tibet

Dozens are dead, thousands of buildings have been destroyed

A firefighter conducts search and rescue operation after an earthquake in Tibet
Photograph: Reuters

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet on January 7th, killing at least 126 people. The quake’s epicentre was in Dingri county, some 50 miles from the base of Mount Everest and near the holy city of Shigatse. The rumbling was felt in Nepal and parts of India. According to an initial survey, over 3,600 buildings were destroyed. Thousands of rescue workers have descended on Tibet to look for survivors. More than 400 people have already been pulled from the rubble, report Chinese state media. Survivors and rescuers face many challenges, such as freezing temperatures and more seismic activity. Since the initial quake, there have been hundreds of aftershocks, some exceeding a magnitude of 4.0.

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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “An earthquake in Tibet”

From the January 11th 2025 edition

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