A powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck the northern foothills of the Himalayas on Tuesday (January 6, 2025) morning, causing widespread destruction and claiming at least 53 lives.
The tremor, which hit at 9.05 am (0105 GMT), had its epicentre in Tingri, a rural county in Tibet known as a gateway to the Everest region, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.
The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), amplifying its destructive power.
Panchen Lama’s seat of learning Shigatse struck
Reports from China’s state-run Xinhua news agency confirmed 62 persons were injured in addition to the fatalities.
Tingri, part of the Shigatse region that is home to 8 lakh people, experienced significant tremors. Shigatse also holds cultural significance as the seat of the Panchen Lama, a key figure in Tibetan Buddhism.
The earthquake’s impact extended beyond Tibet, with tremors felt in neighbouring Nepal, Bhutan and India.
Residents of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, located about 400 km away, described intense shaking that sent people rushing out of buildings.
“We felt a strong earthquake but have not received reports of injuries or major damage so far,” said Anoj Raj Ghimire, chief district officer of Nepal’s Solukhumbu district near Mt Everest.
Authorities in Nepal mobilised security forces and locals to assess the situation.
Panic in Thimpu, parts of Bihar
In Bhutan’s capital Thimphu, and parts of Indian state Bihar, tremors caused panic but no immediate reports of casualties or property damage were reported.
Several aftershocks experienced
The quake was followed by several aftershocks, with magnitudes reaching 4.4. Videos circulating on social media from Lhatse, a town near Tingri, showed collapsed shopfronts and rubble scattered across streets.
The Tingri region reported strong shaking, with local authorities coordinating efforts to assess the damage and search for survivors. Emergency response teams are working with nearby towns to determine the full extent of the impact.
Region prone to earthquakes
Southwestern China, along with Nepal and northern India, is prone to seismic activity due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
This region has witnessed devastating earthquakes in the past, including the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China that claimed nearly 70,000 lives, and Nepal’s 2015 disaster, which killed 9,000 and injured thousands more.
