In Tibet, a powerful earthquake kills at least fifty-three people

Houses collapsed after an earthquake, in the village of Tonglai, Tibet, southwest China, Tuesday January 7, 2025. ANONYMOUS / AP The earth shook on Tuesday January 7 in the Himalayan region of Tibet , in southwest China, causing the collapse of several structures and the death of dozens of people. “Fifty-three people died and 62 others were injured” during this 6.8 magnitude earthquake which shook the canton of Dingri at 9:05 a.m. local time (2:05 a.m. in Paris), said the New China news agency. A previous report reported 32 deaths. The American Geological Survey (USGS), for its part, reported an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 in the region. It was felt as far away as Kathmandu, Nepal. “The tremors were very strongly felt in and around the canton of Dingri and many buildings collapsed near the epicenter,” said public television CCTV, specifying that “multiple aftershocks” had been recorded, the largest being magnitude 4.4. Read the decryption (in 2024): Article reserved for our subscribers The risk of erasure of Tibet at work in French museums Read later Videos broadcast by CCTV show white dwellings at high altitude, with gutted walls and with collapsed roofs, with many stones littering the ground. Other images from public television show firefighters in helmets and orange outfits heading towards the scene of the disaster. Xinhua said local authorities were visiting the canton’s various communes “to assess the repercussions of the earthquake.” Frequent earthquakes Authorities have sent emergency aid, including cotton tents, quilts and other useful equipment to withstand the harsh weather conditions, the agency said. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “every effort to carry out search and rescue operations as well as treat the injured,” according to CCTV. “Everything must be done to minimize human losses” and “rehouse those affected,” he added. This canton, located at high altitude, has around 62,000 inhabitants and is located not far from the Chinese side of Everest. Temperatures there are around −8°C during the day and can drop to −18°C during the night, according to China’s National Meteorological Bureau. While earthquakes are common in the region, Tuesday’s quake was the strongest recorded within a 200-kilometer radius in the past five years, the China Earthquake Network Center said. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Prone to earthquakes, Nepal suffers a new earthquake Read later In Nepal, in addition to Kathmandu, the areas located around Namche and Lobuche, very close to the Everest base camp, were also hit by the earthquake and its aftershocks. Le Monde Mémorable Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Discover “It shook quite hard here, everyone is awake but we are not aware of any damage to the moment,” said Jagat Prasad Bhusal, an official in the Namche region of northeastern Nepal. The Himalayas lie on the fracture line of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates and experience regular seismic activity. In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and injured more than 22,000 in Nepal, destroying more than 500,000 homes. Read the report: Earthquake in Nepal: Kathmandu, in terror and chaos Read later Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content



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