Urgency Mounts in Tibet as Search for Earthquake Survivors Continues
More than 400 individuals trapped beneath debris in earthquake-affected Tibet have been rescued, as reported by Chinese officials on Wednesday. However, an unspecified number of individuals remain unaccounted for following a tremor that significantly altered the region’s landscape.
The epicenter of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake, one of the most intense in recent years for the area, was identified in Tingri, Tibet, approximately 80 kilometers north of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. The quake also impacted structures in neighboring countries, including Nepal, Bhutan, and India.
The seismic event was powerful enough to cause a shift in the terrain at and around the epicenter, with some areas moving as much as 1.6 meters over a distance of 80 kilometers, according to an assessment by the United States Geological Survey. Twenty-four hours after the earthquake occurred, those trapped under the rubble would have faced a night of sub-zero temperatures, intensifying the challenges for rescuers searching for survivors in an area comparable in size to Cambodia. Temperatures in the high-altitude area plummeted to as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius overnight. Individuals who are trapped or lack adequate shelter face a significant risk of rapid hypothermia, with experts indicating that survival may only be possible for five to ten hours, even in the absence of injuries.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, at least 126 fatalities and 188 injuries have been reported on the Tibetan side. No casualties have been confirmed in Nepal or other regions.
Chinese authorities have not yet disclosed the number of individuals who are still unaccounted for. In Nepal, an official informed Reuters that the earthquake destroyed a school building in a village near Mount Everest, which lies along the Nepali-Tibetan border. Fortunately, no occupants were in the building at the time of the incident.
German climber Jost Kobusch recounted that he was just above the Everest base camp on the Nepali side when the earthquake occurred. His tent experienced severe shaking, and he witnessed multiple avalanches descending. He emerged uninjured. “I’m climbing Everest in the winter by myself and… it appears that I’m essentially the only mountaineer present; there’s no one else in the base camp,” Kobusch stated during a video call with Reuters.
His expedition company, Satori Adventure, reported that Kobusch departed from the base camp and went down to Namche Bazaar on Wednesday en route to Kathmandu. The devastation in Tibet has been significant. As reported by state media late on Tuesday, an initial assessment indicated that 3,609 residences were destroyed in the Shigatse region, home to approximately 800,000 individuals. More than 1,800 emergency rescue workers and 1,600 military personnel have been mobilized to assist in the aftermath.
CCTV footage depicted families gathered in rows of blue and green tents that soldiers and aid workers swiftly set up around the epicenter, where hundreds of aftershocks have been recorded. State media rep
orted that over 30,000 individuals affected by the earthquake have been relocated.
Tingri has around 60,000 residents and is the most populous county in Tibet. It is located on the border with Nepal and is administered from Shigatse, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, a key figure in Tibetan Buddhism. Fortunately, no damage has been reported to the Tashilhunpo monastery in Shigatse, established in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama.
The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te have expressed sympathy for the earthquake victims.
The region, encompassing southwestern China, Nepal, and northern India, frequently experiences earthquakes due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. These plates are elevating an ancient seabed that now forms the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. As of 8 a.m. (5 a.m. PST) on Wednesday, the China Earthquake Networks Centre reported over 500 aftershocks, with magnitudes reaching up to 4.4.
In the last five years, there have been 29 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3 or higher within a 200 km radius of Tuesday’s quake, according to data from the local earthquake bureau. This recent earthquake is the most severe in China since a 6.2 magnitude quake in 2023, which resulted in at least 149 fatalities in a remote northwestern area. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.0, was the deadliest in China’s recent history, claiming at least 70,000 lives and surpassing the toll of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which resulted in at least 242,000 deaths.
