Kathmandu, January 7
The death toll from the earthquake that struck China on Tuesday morning has risen to 95, with 62 people reported injured.
Citing the Regional Disaster Relief Headquarters in Tibet, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the updated casualty figures.
In response to the disaster, President Xi Jinping has instructed authorities to prioritise saving lives and minimising damage through all possible rescue efforts. As the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee and Chairperson of the Central Military Commission, Xi has emphasised giving high priority to treating the injured.
President Xi also directed officials to prevent further damage, ensure proper resettlement of affected residents, and manage post-disaster operations effectively.
He stated, “It is essential to strengthen earthquake monitoring and early warning systems, dispatch emergency relief supplies immediately, expedite repairs of damaged infrastructure, fulfill the basic needs of those affected, and ensure everyone’s safety and warmth during winter.”
According to Xinhua, the earthquake’s epicenter was located at 28.5°N latitude and 87.45°E longitude. The powerful tremor struck Dinggyé village in Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, at 6:50 am Nepali time.
The earthquake was also felt in Nepal. While Nepal’s Seismological Center recorded a magnitude of 7.0, China’s Earthquake Network Center measured it at 6.8, with a depth of 10 kilometers.
Chinese media reported that homes in villages of Changzhuo area in Dinggyé County were destroyed by the quake.
The China Earthquake Network Center noted that within a 200-kilometer radius of the epicenter, 29 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or higher have been recorded over the past five years. However, this morning’s tremor was the strongest in the region.
