At Least 95 Dead After Powerful 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near Mount Everest: Reports

Mar. 15, 2025

Damaged houses are pictured after the earthquake in Tonglai Village.Photo:Xinhua/Shutterstock

Xinhua/Shutterstock

At least 95 people have reportedly died and 130 others have been injured after an earthquake hit western China on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Around 9 a.m. local time, the earthquake struck Tibet’s holy city of Shigatse, according to theBBC.

Multiple aftershocks affected the “high-altitude region of western China and across the border in Nepal,” theAssociated Pressreported.

According to the BBC, that tremors were also felt in parts of India.

Per the USGS, the quake “near Xizang, China, occurred as the result of normal faulting at shallow depth north of the boundary between the Eurasia and Indian plates.”

Rescuers are seen following the earthquake.Xinhua/Shutterstock

The AP reported that 1,000 houses had been damaged in the earthquake, with more than 130 people injured, citing Tibet earthquake relief officials and state media.

The Mount Qomolangma (Everest) Scenic Area on the China side was closed after the earthquake, per the AP andChina Daily. The AP reported that the quake’s epicenter was about 50 miles northeast of the world’s highest mountain.

PerChina Daily, a staff member in the area said tourist vehicles planning to visit had “ceased operations,” according to Fengmian News, adding that it “will reopen based on the situation after the aftershocks.”

The outlet reported that a 4.4 magnitude quake had been the strongest aftershock felt so far, citing Xiaoxiang Morning News.

Despite aftershocks being felt in Nepal, “no major damage or casualties” have been reported there aside from “minor damages and cracks on houses,” the BBC reported, citing a National Emergency Operations Centre official.

Rescuers search for survivors in Changsuo Township.Xinhua/Shutterstock

Tuesday’s earthquake reminded some Kathmandu residents of the 7.8 magnitude quake that killed almost 9,000 people and injured 20,000-plus others near Nepal’s capital in 2015.

Manju Neupane, who owns a shop in Kathmandu, told the BBC, “In 2015, when the earthquake hit, I could not even move. Today the situation was not scary like that. But, I am scared that another major earthquake may hit us and we will be trapped between tall buildings.”

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According to the USGS, “The region near the India and Eurasia plate boundary has a history of large earthquakes. In the past century, there have been 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 and greater within 250 km of the January 7, 2025, earthquake.”

source: people.com