(The Associated Press): Tuesday's strong earthquake in Tibet killed at least 53 people and left many more buried under rubble. Many aftershocks were sent through western China and into neighboring Nepal as a result of the earthquake.
The Xinhua News Agency stated that the regional disaster support offices said that 62 persons were hurt in the earthquake. As part of the ongoing rescue attempts, 1,500 firefighters and rescue personnel have been dispatched to look for survivors in the debris, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) determined that the earthquake's magnitude was 7.1, despite the fact that it happened at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). Chinese authorities, however, reported a slightly lower magnitude of 6.8.
In an area that is geologically active as a result of the collision of the India and Eurasia tectonic plates, the epicenter was situated roughly 75 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Mount Everest. This action frequently causes the Himalayan mountain range to experience considerable uplifts, which can occasionally change the height of the range's majestic peaks.
About 4,200 meters (13,800 feet) is the typical elevation around the epicenter, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. In this high-altitude area, there are very few communities; some of them are only 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the epicenter.
Shigatse (Xigaze), the second-largest city in the area, was only 23 kilometers (14 miles) from the epicenter of the earthquake, which was 380 kilometers (240 miles) from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Despite the close proximity, the isolated and rocky terrain in certain locations has resulted in few reports of casualties or damage.
Residents of Nepal's main city of Kathmandu were shocked by the earthquake, which occurred around 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the epicenter. Although there were no initial reports of damage or injuries from Nepal's mountainous areas nearer the epicenter, many fled their houses in fear.
According to the USGS, the area where the earthquake occurred had seen at least eleven earthquakes of a magnitude of six or higher in the past century. This history highlights the region's susceptibility to seismic activity.
Authorities are trying to determine how much of an impact the earthquake has on the impacted populations in Tibet and Nepal while rescue efforts go on. High elevation and challenging terrain in the disaster area continue to make the situation dire.
