A magnitude 6.8 earthquake opens new tab struck the foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet’s holiest cities on Tuesday, killing at least 95 people and collapsing hundreds of houses.
The earthquake’s epicentre was about 80 km (50 miles) north of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain. Tremors also shook buildings in neighbouring Nepal, Bhutan, and India.
The China Earthquake Networks Centre located the epicentre at Tingri County, known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
The U.S. Geological Service put the quake’s magnitude at 7.1. It struck at 9:05 a.m. (0105 GMT).
At least 95 people were known to have been killed and 130 injured on the Tibetan side, China’s state-run television reported. There were no reports of deaths elsewhere.
The quake’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.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
