Two days after Nepal-Tibet flash floods, 5.1 magnitude earthquake strikes China; rescue ops halted
Two days after the devastating flash floods in Nepal and Tibet that left more than 460 people dead, an earthquake of 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan region in southwest China on Friday, reported Xinhua news agency.
The quake occurred around 1.13 pm local time and the tremors were felt in Longchang. The epicentre, meanwhile, was located around 29.23 degrees north latitude and 105.22 degrees east longitude, said the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), adding that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 kilometres.
It is not clear whether the earthquake, a shallow quake, caused any damages or not.
According to Chinese officials, the flash floods claimed three lives in Tibet. On the contrary, the death count in Nepal is 469. They have also evacuated 499 local residents and 555 tourists from affected regions after authorities warned of high flood risk within next three days from a lake that was formed following the mudslide.
However, Chinese authorities have now halted the rescue operation, citing the high risk of renewed flooding in Tibet. “So all rescue teams have been ordered to stand by in place and wait for further instructions,” state broadcaster CCTV said, adding that emergency teams which had earlier accessed the area “have been ordered to withdraw one kilometer”.
President Xi chairs meeting
As the situation remains critical, President Xi Jinping on Friday chaired a high-level meeting with top leaders, discussing details regarding the rescue operation in Tibet. During the meeting, the leaders also discussed sending emergency aid to Nepal and “international relief cooperation”.
“All efforts must be made to search for and rescue missing people inside and outside of the country,” officials of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo said. “There are still many hidden dangers of glaciers, ice lakes and geological disasters in the surrounding area, and rescue is facing great difficulties.”
Dam breached in Tibet?
While China considers sending aid to Nepal, Kathmandu has said a dam has been breached in Tibet, as it asked personnel involved in rescue and search operation to head to safety. However, Chinese authorities have not issued a statement regarding this yet.
Earlier, a blame game had erupted between Nepal and China after Kathmandu alleged that Beijing failed to provide early details regarding the crisis, which could have helped in reducing the damages. However, China rejected the allegations and urged that the two sides must cooperate in the rescue operation.
“Information has been received that a water dam has burst again on the Tibetan side,” Nepal’s Police said in a statement. “All security personnel, rescue workers, and the general public deployed in rescue and relief operations are requested to remain alert and immediately move to a safe location/report the incident.”
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