The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck China's remote Tibet region on Tuesday morning jumped to at least 53, state media reported.
"Fifty-three people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon.
On Tuesday, Chinese authorities said, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked the northern foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet's holiest cities, shaking buildings in neighboring Nepal, Bhutan, and India.
The quake hit at 9:05 a.m. (0105 GMT), with its epicenter located in Tingri, a rural Chinese county 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. The U.S. Geological Service put the quake's magnitude at 7.1.
The temblor's impact was felt across the Shigatse region of Tibet, home to 800,000 people. The region is administered by Shigatse City, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism. Villages in Tingri reported strong shaking during the quake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 4.4. Crumbled shop fronts could be seen in a video on social media showing the aftermath from the town of Lhatse, with debris spilling out onto the road. Reuters confirmed the location from nearby buildings, windows, road layout, and signage that match satellite and street view imagery. There are three townships and 27 villages within 20 km (12 miles) of the epicenter, with a total population of around 6,900, Xinhua reported. Local government officials were liaising with nearby towns to gauge the impact of the quake and check for casualties, it added. Tremors were also felt in Nepal's capital Kathmandu some 400 km (250 miles) away, where residents ran from their houses. "We felt a very strong earthquake. So far we have not received any report of injuries or physical loss," said Anoj Raj Ghimire, chief district officer of Solukhumbu district in Nepal, at the foot of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain. "We have mobilized police and other security forces as well as locals to collect information about the damage," he added. The quake also jolted Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, and the northern Indian state of Bihar which borders Nepal. So far, no reports of any damage or loss to property have been received, officials in India said.
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