Earthquakes in Tibet: Another earthquake of magnitude 4 on the Richter Scale jolted Tibet on Wednesday morning. As per the information, the quake occurred at around 06:58 am (IST) and the epicentre was in Xizang. This comes after a powerful 7.1 magnitude quake killed 126 and caused major devastation in Tibet. The epicenter was located at a depth of around 10 kilometres beneath the surface. The tremors were also felt in neighboring Nepal, where the earthquake’s magnitude was recorded at about 4.2 on the Richter scale.
Xigaze is located 90 km north-east of Lobutse in the Khumbu Himalayan range in northeast Nepal, and is the last border town of Tibet not far from the Nepal-Tibet-Indian tri-junction touching Sikkim. Xigaze, also Shigaste, is the seat of Panchen Lama, the second most influential Buddhist monk after the Dalai Lama.
Over 100 killed in massive earthquake
Earlier on Tuesday, a massive earthquake struck near one of the holiest cities in southern Tibet, killing at least 126 people and injuring 188 with tremors forcing people to rush out to the streets also in parts of Nepal and India. China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) said the quake was of 6.8 magnitude while the US Geological Service (USGS) put it at 7.1 magnitude. The quake jolted Dingri county in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) at 9:05 am (Beijing Time), with the epicentre located in Tsogo township, Dingri county, in the city of Xigaze.
Tibetan plateau prone to earhquakes
China has announced the closure of the tourist places near its side of the Mt Everest even when the tourists and the staff of the many resorts in the area were reported to be safe. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out rescue efforts in the affected areas and urged efforts to prevent secondary disasters, properly resettle affected residents, and handle the aftermath work effectively.
The Tibetan plateau is known to be prone to heavy earthquakes as it sits right over the place where the tectonic Eurasian and Indian plates meet, often colliding with huge force. After Tuesday’s quake, China’s Ministry of Water Resources said inspections had not revealed any impacts on dams or reservoirs in the county, the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported.
(With inputs from PTI)
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