Earthquake in Tibet, China, claims nine lives.

BEIJING - 7 JAN - A powerful earthquake in China’s Tibet region has killed at least nine people and caused significant destruction, with many buildings collapsing, state media reported. The quake, measuring 6.8 in magnitude according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), struck Dingri county near the Nepal border at 9:05 am local time. The US Geological Survey recorded it at a magnitude of 7.1. The tremors were felt strongly in Dingri and surrounding areas, leading to the collapse of several buildings, and aftershocks, with the largest measuring 4.4 in magnitude, were reported. The affected county is home to about 62,000 people, located near Mount Everest on the Chinese side.

The earthquake also shook neighboring Nepal, including the capital Kathmandu and the high-altitude areas around Lobuche, near Everest. While the extent of the damage is still being assessed, local authorities in Tibet and Nepal are working to determine the full impact. Earthquakes are common in this seismically active region, but this tremor is the strongest recorded within a 200-kilometre radius in the last five years. Nepal, located on a major geological fault line, is no stranger to such disasters, with a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 2015 causing nearly 9,000 deaths and widespread destruction.