Luasa, Jan 7 (Agencies): A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwestern China has killed 36 people, the Nanfang Ribao newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Over 1,000 houses have sustained varying degrees of damage. Other media reports said that over 50 people were dead so far. Live India quoted China’s Xinhua news agency saying six powerful earthquakes, with the strongest measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, struck Tibet within an hour on Tuesday morning leaving at least 53 people dead and over 60 injured.
Following the quake, China Earthquake Administration launched a level-II emergency service response and sent a work team to the site to assist with disaster relief efforts. Xizang Autonomous Region also issued a level-II emergency response to the quake.
Some 22,000 disaster relief items, including cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts and folding beds, together with special relief materials for high-altitude and frigid areas, have been dispatched by central authorities to the quake-hit area. Over 1,500 local firefighters and rescue workers have also been dispatched to the ground.
The epicenter was monitored at 28.5 degrees north latitude and 87.45 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Center.
The epicenter is located in Tsogo Township of Dingri County, which has a population of approximately 6,900 people within a 20-km radius. There are 27 villages within this area. Official data show Dingri County has a population of over 61,000 people.
