A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale struck Tibet near the Nepalese border on Tuesday morning, leaving 53 people dead and 62 injured, according to Chinese state media Xinhua. The quake, which hit at 6:35 am, was centered in Dingri County, Xigaze City, in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and its tremors were felt in parts of India, including Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal.

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) recorded the initial earthquake at a depth of 10 km. Two aftershocks followed soon after: a 4.7-magnitude quake at 7:02 am and a 4.9-magnitude tremor at 7:07 am, at depths of 10 km and 30 km, respectively.

Residents in Bihar reported feeling the tremors strongly, prompting people to evacuate their homes and gather outdoors as a precaution. Fortunately, there have been no reports of damage to property or injuries in India.

Tibet and the surrounding Himalayan region are seismically active zones due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. These movements, which formed the towering Himalayas, also make the area highly prone to earthquakes. Nepal, which lies just south of Tibet, has witnessed devastating quakes in the past, including the 2015 disaster that claimed nearly 9,000 lives, injured over 22,000 people, and destroyed more than half a million homes.

Emergency response teams have been deployed in the affected regions of Tibet to assist with rescue operations and assess the damage. The Chinese government is coordinating efforts to provide medical aid and temporary shelters for those impacted.

This latest earthquake serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of the Himalayan region and the need for robust disaster preparedness and response measures to mitigate the effects of such natural calamities.

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale struck Tibet near the Nepalese border on Tuesday morning, leaving 53 people dead and 62 injured, according to Chinese state media Xinhua. The quake, which hit at 6:35 am, was centered in Dingri County, Xigaze City, in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and its tremors were felt in parts of India, including Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal.

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) recorded the initial earthquake at a depth of 10 km. Two aftershocks followed soon after: a 4.7-magnitude quake at 7:02 am and a 4.9-magnitude tremor at 7:07 am, at depths of 10 km and 30 km, respectively.

Residents in Bihar reported feeling the tremors strongly, prompting people to evacuate their homes and gather outdoors as a precaution. Fortunately, there have been no reports of damage to property or injuries in India.

Tibet and the surrounding Himalayan region are seismically active zones due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. These movements, which formed the towering Himalayas, also make the area highly prone to earthquakes. Nepal, which lies just south of Tibet, has witnessed devastating quakes in the past, including the 2015 disaster that claimed nearly 9,000 lives, injured over 22,000 people, and destroyed more than half a million homes.

Emergency response teams have been deployed in the affected regions of Tibet to assist with rescue operations and assess the damage. The Chinese government is coordinating efforts to provide medical aid and temporary shelters for those impacted.

This latest earthquake serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of the Himalayan region and the need for robust disaster preparedness and response measures to mitigate the effects of such natural calamities.