At least 95 people have been confirmed dead and 130 are injured after a major earthquake struck the mountainous Tibet region on Tuesday morning, Chinese state media say, according to BBC.
The earthquake that hit Tibet’s holy Shigatse city around 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT) had a magnitude of 7.1 and a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), according to data from the US Geological Survey, which also showed a series of aftershocks in the area.
Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Nepal and parts of India.
Earthquakes are common in the region, which lies on a major geological fault line.
Tuesday’s earthquake is one of the deadliest China has seen in recent years.
Videos published by China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed destroyed houses and collapsed buildings, as rescue workers waded through debris and handed out thick blankets to locals.
Temperatures in Tingri county, near the earthquake’s epicentre, are around -8C (17.6F), and will drop to -18 this evening, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
Both power and water in the region have been disrupted. BBC
