6.8-magnitude Quake In China’s Xizang Leaves 126 Dead, 188 Injured

LHASA, Jan 7 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- A total of 126 people have been confirmed dead and 188 others injured as of 7 pm Tuesday, following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning, Xinhua reported.

Following the earthquake in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, the Ministry of Public Security immediately launched a disaster response and mobilised the local police force to conduct rescue operations, manage traffic, and ensure public security.

The earthquake emergency response in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has been elevated to Level I, the highest level, the region's emergency command centre announced on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, China also deployed several remote-sensing satellites to capture images of the quake-hit areas.

Eight satellites, including those from the Gaofen series and a land ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite, were mobilised to observe the affected areas, according to the China Centre for Resources Satellite Data and Application.

The earthquake struck at 9.05 am (Beijing Time), with the epicentre located in Tsogo Township, Dingri County, in the city of Xigaze. Twenty-seven villages and approximately 6,900 people are within a 20-km radius of the epicentre. Official data indicates that Dingri County has a population of over 61,000.

More than 3,400 rescuers and over 340 medical workers have been deployed to the quake-hit area, according to a press conference on the earthquake.

The weather forecast predicts mostly sunny conditions in Dingri over the next three days, with minimum temperatures ranging between minus 18 and minus 14 degrees Celsius.

China's central authorities have dispatched approximately 22,000 disaster relief items to the affected region, including cotton tents, winter coats, quilts, and folding beds, along with specialised relief materials for high-altitude and frigid areas.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA