Rescue efforts under way after earthquake in Tibet kills more than 120

BEIJING, China – More than 400 people trapped by a strong earthquake that struck the foothills of the Himalayas on Tuesday, January 7, have been rescued, Chinese authorities said, while over 30,000 residents have been relocated, as rescuers continue the search for survivors.

The magnitude 6.8 quake’s epicenter was in China’s Tibet region, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain. Tremors also shook buildings in neighboring Nepal, Bhutan and India.

An initial survey showed 3,609 homes had been destroyed in the Shigatse region of Tibet, home to 800,000 people, Chinese state media reported late on Tuesday, citing local officials, while more than 500 people and 106 ambulances had been dispatched to help the injured.

At least 126 people were known to have been killed and 188 injured on the Tibetan side, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported. No deaths have been reported in Nepal or elsewhere.

Temperatures in the region dropped to as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, adding to the misery of those left homeless.

Tents, food rations, electrical generators and other supplies had reached the site by late on Tuesday, and all sections of road damaged by the temblor had been reopened, CCTV added.

Beijing, which administers Tibet as an autonomous region within China, rejects criticism from rights groups and exiles who accuse it of trampling on the religious and cultural rights of the Tibetan people. – Rappler.com