Kathmandu, August 28
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Friday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.
The quake hit Longchang city in Sichuan, hundreds of miles from the flood-affected area near the Nepal-Tibet border. No immediate reports of casualties or major damage have been received.
The earthquake struck as rescue and relief operations continued in Tibet and Nepal following the devastating floods and landslides that hit the border region earlier this week. The disaster has killed hundreds of people, with hundreds more still missing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a meeting with senior officials on Friday regarding the ongoing rescue operations in Tibet. Officials warned that risks from glacial lakes, glaciers, and geological hazards remain, further complicating rescue efforts.
Nepal has also issued a new flood warning after water levels rose again at the site of the earlier disaster.
Authorities have urged residents and rescue workers in at-risk areas to move to safe locations. China has warned that a newly formed barrier lake near the border could burst, raising fears of further flooding downstream.
