Mount Qomolangma scenic area closed after 7.1-magnitude quake hits Tibet

Lhasa:  The Mount Qomolangma scenic area was temporarily closed, and tourists and staff were in safe condition after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the Xizang (Autonomous Region) on Tuesday morning, according to local Chinese authorities.

Dingri is home to the base camp of the world's highest peak. 95 have been confirmed dead and 130 injured during the earthquake, according to the regional disaster relief headquarters.

The hotel buildings and surrounding areas in the scenic area have remained intact, and tourists and staff are safe, according to the Dingri Culture and Tourism Bureau.

The Qomolangma Station for Atmospheric and Environmental Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, located in Dingri, is experiencing a power outage. However, the facilities have remained in good condition.

Located at the China-Nepal border, Mount Qomolangma reaches an altitude of more than 8,840 metres, with its northern section located in Xizang.

The weather forecast showed that Dingri's temperature ranged from minus 18 degrees Celsius to zero.

The Chinese side of Mount Qomolangma received 13,764 overseas tourists in 2024, more than twice the number recorded in 2023. This is a notable sign of booming international tourism following China's relaxation of its visa policies.

According to the County Bureau of Culture and Tourism, these tourists are mainly from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and France, Xinhua news agency reported.

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed that the earthquake occurred at 6:35 a.m. (IST), with its epicentre at latitude 28.86°N and longitude 87.51°E, at a depth of 10 km. The location was identified as Xizang (Tibet Autonomous Region), near Nepal's border.

It was reported that the fatalities were concentrated in the city of Xizang, with many injuries and structural damage also recorded.

In Tonglai Village, Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze (Shigatse), several houses have reportedly collapsed.

The earthquake also sent tremors across northern India, affecting areas such as Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Delhi-NCR, causing panic as residents rushed out of their homes. Fortunately, no casualties or property damage have been reported in India so far.

Two aftershocks followed the initial quake -- a 4.7-magnitude tremor was recorded at 7:02 a.m. (IST), with its epicentre at latitude 28.60°N and longitude 87.68°E, at a depth of 10 km and another 4.9-magnitude quake struck at 7:07 a.m. (IST), with its epicentre at latitude 28.68°N and longitude 87.54°E, at a depth of 30 km.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the earthquake's location 93 km northeast of Lobuche, near the Nepal-Tibet border. Lobuche lies near the Khumbu Glacier, approximately 150 km east of Kathmandu and 8.5 km southwest of Everest Base Camp.

Nepal, situated in a highly seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge, is no stranger to earthquakes. This tectonic activity, which forms the Himalayan region, often results in seismic events of varying magnitudes.