Death toll from Tibet earthquake rises to 95

The death toll due to a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday (January 7) that struck China’s southern Tibet region rose to 95, state media reported.

At least 130 others were injured, according to Xinhua English.

Initial reports had the death toll at 53, but it has since increased.

Some 1,500 firefighters and rescue workers were deployed to search for people in the rubble, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

The quake struck at 9:05am local time (01:05 GMT) at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center, which recorded a magnitude of 6.8. However, the United States Geological Survey measured its magnitude as 7.1.

Local government officials are reaching out to various townships to assess the impact of the quake, while the Chinese military has dispatched drones to survey the quake’s epicenter.

Videos and images coming out of Tibet show mud-damaged houses due to the quake while rescue personnel were searching for any trapped people.

President Xi Jinping has directed authorities to make “all-out” rescue efforts to search and rescue trapped people.

The People’s Liberation Army has readied a disaster relief emergency plan including transport, medical planes, helicopters, and ground forces to assist with relief operations.