Strong earthquake kills at least 32 people in western China
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, people stand amidst damaged houses in the aftermath of an earthquake in Tonglai Village, Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
BEIJING (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck a mountainous region in western China near Nepal early Tuesday, claiming at least 32 lives.
According to the official Xinhua News Agency, 38 people were also injured, as reported by the regional disaster relief headquarters.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured the earthquake at a magnitude of 7.1, with its epicenter located in the Tibet region at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). Chinese authorities, however, reported the magnitude as 6.8.
The quake's epicenter lies along the collision zone of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, where movements generate powerful uplifts in the Himalayan range, sometimes altering the heights of the world’s tallest peaks.
The region around the epicenter averages an altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), as noted by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. CCTV also reported several small communities within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the epicenter, which is situated 380 kilometers (240 miles) from Lhasa, Tibet's capital, and approximately 23 kilometers (14 miles) from Xigaze, the region's second-largest city.
In Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, the quake woke residents, prompting them to flee their homes in alarm. No immediate reports were available from the remote mountainous regions closer to the epicenter across the border.
The USGS noted that this area has experienced 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher in the past century.
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