—— Islamabad extends support to Chinese people and govt in relief efforts
BEIJING: The death toll from a devastating earthquake that struck China’s remote Tibet region on Tuesday rose to at least 126, state media said.
“A total of 126 people have been confirmed dead and 188 others injured as of 7:00 pm (1100 GMT) Tuesday,” Xinhua reported.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked the northern foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet’s holiest cities today.
The quake hit at 9:05am (0105 GMT), with its epicentre located in Tingri, a rural county known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre. The US Geological Service put the quake’s magnitude at 7.1. Southwestern parts of China, Nepal and northern India are frequently hit by earthquakes caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Tuesday’s epicentre was around 80 km (50 miles) north of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain and a popular destination for climbers and trekkers.
Winter is not a popular season for climbers and hikers in Nepal, with a German climber the lone mountaineer with a permit to climb Mount Everest. He had already left the base camp after failing to reach the summit, Lilathar Awasthi, a Department of Tourism official, said.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the tremors were felt in seven hill districts bordering Tibet. “So far we have not received any information of any loss of life and property,” NDRRMA spokesman Dizan Bhattarai told media. “We have mobilised police, security forces and local authorities to collect information,” he said.
Many villages in the Nepalese border area, which are sparsely populated, are remote and can only be reached by foot.
The impact of the quake was felt across the Shigatse region of Tibet, home to 800,000 people. The region is administered by Shigatse city, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said all-out search and rescue efforts should be carried out to minimise casualties, properly resettle the affected people, and ensure a safe and warm winter.
More than 1,500 local firefighters and rescue workers have been dispatched to the affected areas, China’s media reported.
Some 22,000 items including cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts and folding beds have also been sent to the quake-hit region, it said.
Pakistan has expressed heartfelt condolences over the tragic loss of lives in the earthquake.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan extends its support to the Chinese people and government their relief efforts.
“Our thoughts remain with the injured and those still missing,” it added.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives and financial losses due to the earthquake, President Asif Ali Zardari said his sympathies were with the Chinese government, people and earthquake victims.
“In this moment of sorrow, I stand in solidarity with my Chinese brothers and sisters,” said the president. –Agencies
