China earthquake: Powerful tremors jolt remote Tibet region; 53 dead
What's the story
A powerful earthquake of 7.1 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted Nepal early Tuesday morning, with tremors felt across North India, including Delhi-NCR and Bihar. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake struck at 6:35am IST. The epicenter was located 93km northeast of Lobuche, near the Nepal-Tibet border and had a depth of about 10km.
Tibet earthquake
53 dead, many reported injured in Tibet quake
Meanwhile, in Tibet, 53 people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region at 9:05 am, Tuesday according to Chinese state-owned Xinhua news agency. President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts to save lives and minimize casualties.
Epicenter location
Earthquake's epicenter near Khumbu Glacier, no casualties reported
In Nepal, Lobuche, the epicenter of the earthquake, lies near the Khumbu Glacier and some 150km east of Kathmandu. It is also some 8.5km southwest of Everest Base Camp. The tremors were strongly felt in Bihar, prompting residents to evacuate their homes/apartments. Despite the intensity of the quake, no major damage or casualties have been reported so far.
NCS confirmation
National Centre for Seismology confirms earthquake details
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed the details of the earthquake on Twitter. The NCS tweet read: "EQ of M: 7.1, On: 07/01/2025 06:35:18 IST, Lat: 28.86 N, Long: 87.51 E, Depth: 10km, Location: Xizang." After the initial quake, NCS recorded two more tremors in the region later in the morning.
Aftershocks recorded
Two aftershocks follow initial earthquake in Nepal
The first aftershock, measuring 4.7 in magnitude, hit at 7:02am IST with its epicenter at latitude 28.60 degrees North and longitude 87.68 degrees East, at 10km depth. The second aftershock, of 4.9 magnitude, hit at 7:07am IST with its epicenter at latitude 28.68 degrees North and longitude 87.54 degrees East, at 30km depth. These additional tremors have only added to the residents' concerns.
Seismic history
Nepal's seismic activity history and current preparations
Nepal lies in a seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making it prone to frequent earthquakes. The region was rocked by a devastating earthquake on April 25, 2015, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and left 9,000 dead. In light of this recent seismic activity, emergency response teams in both Nepal and India are on high alert.