Quake toll rises to 53; 62 injured

The US Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Earthquake Centre of India put the magnitude to 7.1 saying the epicentre is located at China's Xizang of Tingri county, located 90 km North-East of Lobutse in the Khumbu Himalayan range of North-East Nepal

Beijing: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake killed at least 53 people and injured 62 in the city of Xigaze in Tibet on Tuesday with tremors also felt in Nepal forcing people to run out of their houses. According to regional disaster relief headquarters, the quake jolted Dingri County in Xigaze in Tibet Autonomous Region in China at 9.05 am Tuesday (Beijing Time).

Fifty-three people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon, state-run Xinhua reported.

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The US Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Earthquake Centre of India put the magnitude to 7.1 saying the epicentre is located at China’s Xizang of Tingri county, located 90 km North-East of Lobutse in the Khumbu Himalayan range of North-East Nepal.

However, China recorded the magnitude as 6.8. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

Meanwhile, in Nepal’s Kathmandu, the strong earthquake forced people to run out of their houses. It was felt in Kavrepalanchwok, Sindhupalanchok Dhading and Solukhumbu districts as well.

Many people came out of their houses due to panic in Kathmandu. People witnessed the trees and electric wires on the streets shaking for some time.

At least half a dozen tremors with magnitude ranging from 4 to 5 were also recorded within a time span of an hour around 7 am, according to the USGS report.

The tremor was strong enough to terrorise people in Nepal, who recalled the 2015 great earthquake that killed 9,000 people. However, a Nepal Police spokesperson says that so far they have not received any information regarding any major physical damage or human causality.

As the epicentre lies in Tibet stronger tremors were felt by people living in Northern Nepal, Nepal Police spokesperson Bishwo Adhikari said.