Earthquake of magnitude 7.1 strikes near the Tibet-Nepal border: At least 53 dead

On Tuesday morning, a powerful earthquake struck near the Tibet-Nepal border, killing over 126 people and trapping many others. It was reported that 188 of the individuals have so far sustained injuries. About 1,500 rescuers had been sent in to search through the debris for people who might still have been trapped under the rubble. It was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey(USGS) at a magnitude of 7.1.

The epicenter is about 75 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Mount Everest, in a tectonically active zone where India and Eurasia plates collide through its much drier elevations, creating different uplifts in the Himalayas. Even the world’s tallest peaks can change heights because of such activity.

According to the China Earthquake Center, the average altitude in this vicinity around the epicenter is around 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). CCTV reported that many villages are there in the vicinity all within 5 km from the epicenter, and situated 380 km (240 miles) from Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, and 23 km (14 miles) from Shigatse (Xigaze).

The areas in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, also felt tremors with many people escaping their houses and hanging out on the streets. Limited information is available on sources outside the major areas of Nepal very close to the epicenter. According to USGS, over 10 earthquakes have occurred in this region within a hundred years, with a magnitude of 6 or higher.