Death toll from 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Tibet rises to 95

Xi orders to make “all possible efforts” within the framework of search and rescue efforts

MADRID, 7 (EUROPA PRESS)

At least 95 people have died and 130 have been injured due to a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred this Tuesday morning and severely hit Dingri county, located in the autonomous region of Tibet, in southwest China.

The earthquake, which occurred after 9:00 a.m. (local time, 2:00 a.m. Spanish peninsular time) at a depth of ten kilometers, has caused fifty aftershocks and has also affected Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and India.

Thousands of homes have been damaged given their proximity to the epicenter of the earthquake, which has led regional authorities to launch search and rescue efforts in an attempt to find survivors among the missing.

For this purpose, Army troops and dozens of emergency personnel have been deployed, according to information collected by Chinese media. The aftershocks, as the authorities have indicated, currently have a maximum magnitude of 4.4.

The situation has led the president of China, Xi Jinping, to order the launch of “all possible efforts to carry out search and rescue efforts” for the population. Thus, he has asked to treat the injured, minimize victims, prevent secondary disasters and relocate those affected.

“We must strengthen earthquake monitoring and early warning, allocate emergency rescue materials in a timely manner, repair damaged infrastructure as soon as possible, organize basic housing arrangements for the people, and ensure a safe and warm winter,” he said. .

For his part, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang has urged “accelerating the verification” of victims and damage, since the area affected by the earthquake is located in a region of high altitude and low temperatures. “It is winter and we must do everything possible to guarantee the basic subsistence and warmth of the population in the disaster area,” he added.

The governor of Dingri, Tashi Dundup, has indicated that the safe evacuation of the population has been organized to avoid the impact of the aftershocks of the earthquake.