Tibet Earthquake Survivors Trapped Under Rubble Face Deadly Hypothermia Risk
Tibet Earthquake Survivors Trapped Under Rubble Face Deadly Hypothermia Risk
Beijing: Chinese officials announced on Wednesday that over 400 individuals trapped under debris in earthquake-hit Tibet have been rescued. However, an unknown number remain unaccounted for amid freezing conditions, a day after a powerful quake shook the Himalayan foothills. Experts warn that those trapped or lacking shelter face the risk of rapid hypothermia, with survival possible for only five to ten hours, even if they are uninjured. After 24 hours since the quake, those trapped beneath the rubble have endured a night in sub-zero temperatures, intensifying the urgency for rescuers searching for survivors in an area comparable in size to Cambodia. The high-altitude region experienced temperatures plummeting to minus 18°C (0°F) overnight. State television CCTV aired footage showing families gathered in rows of blue and green tents swiftly set up by soldiers and aid workers in communities near the epicenter, where numerous aftershocks have been recorded. According to state broadcaster CCTV, at least 126 fatalities and 188 injuries have been reported on the Tibetan side, with no deaths noted in Nepal or other areas.
The center of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on Tuesday, one of the strongest in the area in recent years, was found in Tingri, Tibet, China, roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on the planet. The tremor also affected structures in nearby Nepal, Bhutan, and India. According to the United States Geological Survey assessment, the quake was powerful enough to cause some of the surrounding land to shift by as much as 1.6 meters (5 feet 3 inches) throughout 80 kilometers (50 miles).
Lone climber
Chinese officials have not yet provided an update on the number of unaccounted-for individuals. In Nepal, a representative informed Reuters that the earthquake caused the collapse of a school building in a village near Mount Everest, which lies along the Nepali-Tibetan border. Fortunately, no occupants were present at the time. German climber Jost Kobusch reported that he was just above the Everest base camp on the Nepali side when the earthquake occurred. His tent shook violently, and he witnessed several avalanches tumble down but emerged unharmed.
“I’m climbing Everest in the winter solo, and […] it seems I’m the only mountaineer here; there’s no one else at the base camp,” Kobusch told Reuters during a video call. His expedition company, Satori Adventure, announced that Kobusch had departed from the base camp and was making his way down to Namche Bazaar on Wednesday, heading towards Kathmandu. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, which cited Chinese scientists, no avalanches have been reported on Everest so far. However, the damage around the epicenter has been significant.
An initial assessment revealed that 3,609 homes were destroyed in the Shigatse region, home to 800,000 residents, as reported by state media late Tuesday. Over 14,000 rescue workers have been mobilized. Local officials at a press conference on Wednesday said more than 46,500 individuals affected by the earthquake have been relocated, and 484 tourists in Tingri have been safely transported to Shigatse. Tuesday’s earthquake was the most severe in China since a 6.2-magnitude quake in 2023 that killed at least 149 people in a remote northwestern area. In 2008, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan, leading to the deaths of at least 70,000 people, marking it as the deadliest quake in China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which claimed at least 242,000 lives.
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