Earthquake of magnitude 7.0 hits Tibet weeks after deadly floods and landslides near Nepal border

An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 on Thursday struck Tibet at around 8:03 PM IST, at a depth of 173 km, the National Center for Seismology said in a statement. The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) further confirmed that the earthquake struck at around 10.33 pm local time (1433 GMT) in a county in Nagqu, northern Tibet. The epicentre was located at a depth of 10 km, CENC data showed.

Earthquake comes weeks after deadly flash floods hit the region

Notably, this earthquake comes weeks after deadly flash floods hit the region, raising concerns over natural disasters in the Himalayan region. At this time, there was no immediate information available on casualties or damage caused by Thursday’s earthquake.

Earlier, an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26 triggered devastating flash floods that swept away homes, roads and bridges, damaged hydropower projects and left thousands missing.

The development comes as the death toll from the devastating Nepal-Tibet flash floods surged to 1,243 as rescuers battled rain and debris to trace those believed to be trapped in the tunnels along the course of the Bhotekoshi river and underground powerhouses in the Himalayan nation.

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the disaster’s link to climate change must be strongly raised with the international community, as symbolic funerals were held by families of locals still missing after last week’s flash floods.

Flash flood death toll has surged to 1,222

The death toll has surged to 1,222 as more bodies were recovered from eight districts affected by the flood, while 4,875 people remain missing a week after the floods devastated several towns and villages in the country, according to Nepal Police. Security forces have recovered 348 dead bodies from Chitawan district, 218 from Nawalparasi East, 208 from Nawalparasi West, and 155 from Nuwakot. Similarly, 127 bodies were recovered from Rasuwa, 69 from Gorkha, 60 from Dhading and 38 from Tanahu, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Among the missing people, 583 were foreigners. The joint forces of security personnel, including the Nepal Army, have so far rescued 11,993 people using helicopters and land routes. Around 21,314 security personnel have been mobilised for the search and rescue operations.

The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, leaving a trail of destruction and thousands of people missing.On the Chinese side, the death toll in the flash flood that struck Gyirong county in Tibet near the Nepal border has increased to 21, with 541 others were missing.

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