A devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck Tibet near the Nepalese border today, resulting in the tragic loss of 95 lives, according to reports from Chinese media outlet Xinhua, cited by AFP. The tremors were felt across several regions in India, including Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal.
The epicentre of the quake was in Tingri County in Shigatse City, about 400 kilometers southwest of Tibet’s capital Lhasa, and near the border with Nepal. The area is known to be a favorite of tourists attempting to reach Mount Everest.
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) recorded the first earthquake at 6:35 AM. Subsequently, two more shocks were reported in quick succession: a 4.7 magnitude quake at 7:02 AM that occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers and another measuring 4.9 at 7:07 AM, which had a depth of 30 kilometers.
Nepal lies on a seismically active zone, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge. It often suffers earthquakes, with a strong one in 2015 killing close to 9,000 people and injuring more than 22,000, leaving over half a million homes destroyed.
In Bihar, the tremors sent many out of their homes to spend the night in the open. There are no reports of property damage related to the earthquake yet.
