NEW DELHI: A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck near the Tibet-Nepal border on Tuesday morning, killing at least 30 people and causing widespread damage, including the collapse of several buildings, as reported by China’s state media via AFP.
The earthquake, which occurred at 6:35 AM IST, had its epicenter in the Tibet region, about 93 km northeast of Lobuche, Nepal, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake, originating at a depth of 10 kilometers, also triggered tremors felt in Bihar and several parts of North India. Lobuche, located near the Khumbu Glacier in Nepal, is about 150 kilometers east of Kathmandu and close to the Everest Base Camp.
China’s earthquake monitoring agency recorded the magnitude as 6.8, with the epicenter situated at an altitude of approximately 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Aftershocks Felt in the Region
According to data from the National Center for Seismology (NCS), two additional aftershocks were recorded in the region later in the morning. The first, with a magnitude of 4.7, occurred at 7:02 AM IST, with its epicenter at latitude 28.60° North and longitude 87.68° East, at a depth of 10 kilometers. Another aftershock of magnitude 4.9 struck at 7:07 AM IST, with its epicenter at latitude 28.68° North and longitude 87.54° East, at a depth of 30 kilometers.
