Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Hits Tibet, Kills at Least 126

The area is prone to earthquakes, being on the fault line marking the collision zone of the Eurasia and Indian plates marked by the Himalayas.

People stand amidst damaged houses in the aftermath of an earthquake in Tonglai Village, Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, Tibet, on Jan. 7, 2025. Xinhua via AP

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake, followed by multiple strong 5.0 magnitude aftershocks, was recorded on the morning of Jan. 7 in Tibet, near the border with Nepal. At least 126 people were killed, 188 were injured, and about 1,000 houses damaged, Chinese state media reported.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the quake was about 50 miles northeast of Mount Everest and had a depth of around 6.2 miles. It occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time. The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded the quake as a magnitude 6.8.