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Tibet: Dozens Killed After 7.1-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes

By Tashi Wangchuk, Dolkar, Tenzin Pema, and Taejun Kang At least 126 people were killed and 188 others were injured after a powerful earthquake hit Tibet on Tuesday morning, according to Chinese state media, with the tremors felt in multiple regions in neighboring countries of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck at 9:05 a.m. local time in Dingri county of Shigatse prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region, located close to the border with Nepal, according to the United States Geological Survey.  The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded a magnitude 6.8 quake. Multiple aftershocks of magnitudes of more than 4 struck the region, the most powerful of which was 4.4. magnitude. More than 3,000 buildings were destroyed in one county alone, Chinese state media reported. Rescue teams have been deployed, Chinese media reported earlier. Many Tibetans from around Tibet are rallying together to provide aid to the hundreds of affected Tibetans in Dingri, with videos as seen by Radio Free Asia showing individuals leading donation drives for shoes, blankets, food, water and other basic necessities such as tissue rolls, and loading these in trucks for distribution.  Sources told RFA that freezing temperatures in the region have exacerbated challenges, after the earthquake destroyed homes and forced people out in the open. Temperatures in January in the region plunge as low as minus-16 degrees Celsius (3 degrees Fahrenheit). Dalai Lama offers prayers Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who is currently in South India, expressed deep sadness over loss of lives, property and homes in the earthquake.  “I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives and extend my wishes for a swift recovery to all who have been injured,” he said in an official announcement.  In video footage sourced by RFA, significant damage can be seen, with many buildings reduced to rubble. In one video, a Tibetan woman can be heard crying out for trapped family members. Dingri County has a population of about 60,000, according to a 2020 census. Within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the epicenter are the villages of Tangren, Xuezhu, Garegoji, and Meiduo, while Tsosang and Chulho townships are within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the impact zone, Chinese state media reported. The earthquake was felt strongly in Cogo, Chulho, and Chamco townships, said a source in India who has family members in Chamco.  “I was able to connect with my family this morning and got to know they were all safe at the time but was not able to connect in the afternoon,” he told RFA. Tremors were also felt in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu some 400 kilometers (250 miles) away, where residents ran from their houses, Reuters news agency reported.  “We felt a very strong earthquake. So far we have not received any report of injuries or physical loss,” said Anoj Raj Ghimire, chief district officer of Solukhumbu district in Nepal, quoted by Reuters.  The earthquake also hit Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, and the northern Indian state of Bihar which borders Nepal, Reuters said.  CTA extends condolences Penpa Tsering, president of the Tibetan government-in-exile, expressed his condolences and announced a prayer service to be held on Wednesday at the Thekchen Choeling Tsuglakhang complex in Dharamsala, India. “The Central Tibetan Administration deeply mourns the devastating 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the Dingri region and surrounding areas in Tibet this morning,” he told RFA. “The CTA, along with Tibetans around the world, extends our heartfelt condolences and prayers to all those affected by this tragedy. …We will continue to monitor the situation inside Tibet.”  China’s official Xinhua news agency said the Chinese government dispatched a rescue team of 198 people and 35 ambulances, and that President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to ensure that those affected by the quake were protected from the harsh winter. “However, the locals were left with no sign of help at the site even about three hours after the earthquake,” said a Tibetan resident in Nepal, who has been in touch with those affected since the earthquake struck in Dingri. An unusually large number of photos and videos about the earthquake have surfaced online, including one in which a Tibetan woman can be heard taking the name of the Dalai Lama, referring to him as “Gyalwa Rinpoche” in Tibetan. “May His Holiness bless us,” her prayer can be heard in the WeChat video.  Many Tibetans inside and outside Tibet have also taken to social media to express their solidarity.  “Dingri, may you recover soon from the effects of the earthquake and stand tall like a mountain once again,” said a social media user named Phakchen. “May all brothers and sisters be free from the sufferings caused by the earthquake.”  Another user, named Tsowo, expressed solidarity with Tibetans affected by the disaster with a post of a traditional Tibetan butter lamp, a symbol of driving away darker times.  Frequent earthquakes Southwestern parts of China and Nepal have been hit frequently by earthquakes. A huge earthquake in China’s Sichuan province in 2008 killed almost 70,000 people, while in 2015, a magnitude 7.8 quake, Nepal’s worst, hit near Kathmandu, killing about 9,000 people and injuring thousands. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake can cause extensive structural damage, severe ground shaking, landslides and fatalities, particularly in densely populated or poorly constructed areas, with risks of power outages, gas leaks, and tsunamis if near the coast. There have been 29 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3 or higher within 200 kilometers (124 miles) of the epicenter of Tingri in the past five years, according to China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV.  According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an earthquake of a magnitude 6 or higher has struck only 10 times in the last 100 years within 250 kilometers (155 miles) of the epicenter in Dingri county. Additional reporting by Tenzin Tenkyong, Nordhey Dolma, Lobe Socktsang, Dorjee Dolma and Tenzin Norzom. Translated by RFA Tibetan. Edited by Mike Firn.