A strong earthquake has shaken a mountainous region in western China near Nepal, killing at least 53 people. The official Xinhua News Agency says 62 others were injured in Tuesday's quake. The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake registered magnitude 7.1 while China recorded it as 6.8. The epicenter was about 50 miles northeast of Mount Everest, which straddles the border. The area is seismically active and is where the India and Eurasia plates clash and cause uplifts that can be strong enough to change the heights of Himalayan peaks.
