Earthquake in Tibet: 5.0 magnitude quake jolts Nepal border town days after flash floods kill over 1200

Tibet was jolted by an earthquake of magnitude 5.0 on Thursday, with the epicentre reported to be in a town near Nepal just days after catastrophic flash floods triggered by a glacier collapse killed over 1,200 people in the Himalayan nation.

The earthquake struck at around 1.46 pm (local time) at a depth of 14 kilometres, the National Centre for Seismology said in a post on X, adding the magnitude was measured at 5.0 on the Richter Scale.

No casualties or damage to property have been reported yet in the latest earthquake.

The catastrophic floods that struck the region on August 26 were triggered by a glacier collapse in Tibet near the Nepal border, sending massive volumes of water downstream and causing widespread destruction across towns and valleys.

Nepal flash flood deaths cross 1200, fresh flood warning issued

The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,252 on Thursday as authorities recovered more bodies from the affected areas. Meanwhile, the risk of fresh flooding has increased due to continued rainfall in the upstream areas of the Bhotekoshi River.

The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages across northern and central Nepal, leaving widespread destruction in their wake.

Authorities have warned of a possible rise in water levels in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, as well as smaller rivers and streams flowing through Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.

A moderate risk of flash floods has also been identified in several hilly districts, including Taplejung, Panchthar, Terhathum, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, Okhaldhunga, Udaypur, Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahu, Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, Kaski, Syangja, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.

Rivers in several mountainous districts, including Kalikot, Humla, Jumla, Dailekh, Darchula and Baitadi, are also witnessing rising water levels, posing a potential flash-flood risk.

According to data released by Nepal Police on Thursday, 355 bodies have been recovered from Chitwan, 218 from Nawalparasi East, and 208 from Nawalparasi West. Of the bodies counted in Nawalparasi West, 18 were recovered in India and subsequently handed over to authorities in Nepal.

Another 177 bodies were recovered from Nuwakot, while 127 were recovered from Rasuwa, 69 from Gorkha, 60 from Dhading and 38 from Tanahu.

Over 4800 missing

Joint rescue teams led by the Nepal Army continued search and rescue operations for a ninth consecutive day on Thursday. The number of missing people has been estimated at 4,875.

On the Chinese side of the border, the death toll from the flash floods in Gyirong County, Tibet, has risen to 21, while 541 people remained missing as of Wednesday.

The floods have dramatically altered the landscape of the valleys in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, with riverbanks and familiar landmarks washed away.

According to The Kathmandu Post, helicopter pilots involved in rescue operations are now relying heavily on their own judgement and discipline to navigate the steep and altered terrain, as many of the landmarks previously used for navigation have disappeared.

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