Chinese authorities announced the rescue of more than 400 people trapped by a devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Tibet on Tuesday, January 7. The quake, one of the region’s most powerful in recent years, hit Tingri County, located about 80 kilometers north of Mount Everest. The disaster has claimed at least 126 lives, injured 188, and left an unknown number unaccounted for in severe sub-zero conditions.
The earthquake struck the northern foothills of the Himalayas, shaking buildings in neighboring Nepal, Bhutan, and India. The epicenter was Tingri County in Tibet’s Shigatse region, home to 800,000 people. Local officials reported the destruction of over 3,600 homes, with more than 30,000 residents relocated.
Rescuers raced against time in the high-altitude region where overnight temperatures dropped to minus 18°C (0°F). Experts warned that those trapped without adequate shelter risked rapid hypothermia, with survival times estimated at just five to ten hours.
More than 1,800 emergency rescue personnel and 1,600 soldiers have been deployed. Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed families taking refuge in tents set up near the epicenter. Hundreds of aftershocks, including one as strong as 4.4 magnitude, continue to rattle the area, further complicating rescue operations.
Jost Kobusch, a German climber attempting a solo winter ascent of Mount Everest, described the quake as it struck near his tent above Everest Base Camp in Nepal. He witnessed avalanches but remained unharmed. His expedition team confirmed that he is descending safely to Namche Bazaar.
The earthquake, caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, is a grim reminder of the region’s seismic activity. Tibet, a seismically active zone, recorded over 100 earthquakes with magnitudes above 3.0 last year. However, quakes of this magnitude are rare.
Notable recent earthquakes include the 6.9 magnitude Mainling quake in 2017 and the devastating 8.6 magnitude Medog earthquake in 1950, which remains one of the strongest globally recorded tremors of the 20th century.
The Dalai Lama, along with global leaders such as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, has expressed condolences to the victims.
Chinese authorities continue to assess the damage and search for survivors. The earthquake serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of life in one of the world’s most tectonically active and inhospitable regions.