53 Dead as 7.1-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Tibet Near Nepal Border
A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck Tibet near the Nepalese border on Tuesday, claiming the lives of 53 people and injuring 62 others, according to Chinese state media Xinhua, as reported by AFP. The tremors were felt in various parts of India, including Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal.
"Fifty-three 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 Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region at 9:05 am Tuesday," Chinese state-owned Xinhua news agency said, as quoted by AFP.
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported that the earthquake occurred at 6:35 am. Following this, two more earthquakes were recorded in the region shortly after the first one.
The second earthquake, of magnitude 4.7, struck at 7:02 am at a depth of 10 km. The NCS posted the details on Twitter:
"EQ of M: 4.7, On: 07/01/2025 07:02:07 IST, Lat: 28.60 N, Long: 87.68 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Xizang."
The third earthquake, of magnitude 4.9, was recorded at 7:07 am at a depth of 30 km:
"EQ of M: 4.9, On: 07/01/2025 07:07:23 IST, Lat: 28.68 N, Long: 87.54 E, Depth: 30 Km, Location: Xizang."
For more details, NCS advised downloading the BhooKamp App.
Nepal, located in a seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge, experiences frequent earthquakes. In 2015, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people, injured over 22,000, and left more than half a million homes in ruins.
In India, the tremors were most strongly felt in Bihar, prompting residents to rush out of their homes. However, no damage to property has been reported.
