Almost 100 killed after 7.1 powerful magnitude earthquake rocks Tibet; tremors felt in India, Nepal

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Jan 7 hit Dingri County in Tibet at 9:05 am killing at least 95 people and injuring over 130 others, Xinhua news agency reported.

The earthquake's impact was also felt in India, Nepal and Bhutan with buildings shaking in many areas.

The China Earthquake Networks Center reported that the earthquake’s epicenter was located at 28.5 degrees north latitude and 87.45 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometers.

"Dingri county and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed," the Chinese state news agency said.

The earthquake occurred in mountainous terrain and at a high altitude of 4,200 meters above sea level in an area bordering Nepal.

Chinese media reported that several buildings also collapsed near the epicenter. Strong tremors were felt across Delhi-NCR and other parts of North India including Bihar.

Local authorities have issued precautionary advisories after many residents felt the ground shaking and ran outside for safety.

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said multiple earthquakes hit Xizang, part of the Tibet Autonomous Region which was followed by several aftershocks.

An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 was also recorded in Nepal’s Lobuche early on Jan 7 the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

The tremor occurred 93 kilometers northeast of Lobuche at around 6:35 AM IST which shook the region forcing people to evacuate.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials recorded an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude in Shigatse City, Tibet's second-largest city.

Shigatse has a population of 800,000 people and is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the key figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

Videos published by the Chinese state broadcaster showed collapsed buildings and destroyed areas, as rescue workers helped those affected.

Rescue and relief operations are complicated due to difficult terrain.

A Tibetan refugee living in Himachal Pradesh’s mountainous Dharamsala town has been trying desperately to contact her relatives in Xizang, the earthquake’s epicenter.

"I am scared. I hope they are fine. But no one is picking up my calls. I have been trying for hours," 28-year-old Tsering Choden told Education Post.

Choden, who has been living in India for the last three years, said relatives and cousins live in Xizang.

"I am afraid something has happened to them. I am still trying to call them. Even their neighbors are not picking up," she said, adding that there has been no news from her relatives' neighborhood since the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the region.

"I am only praying. What else can I do?" a worried Choden said.

Nepal also experienced strong tremors but reported only minor structural damage with no casualties. Earthquakes are frequent in this seismically active region, which lies on a major geological fault line.

The recent disaster is one of the most devastating in the area since the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which claimed nearly 9,000 lives and injured over 20,000.