NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday expressed condolences over the devastation caused to lives and property with over 126 dead and 188 injured in an earthquake in Tibet.
“The Government and people of India express their condolences for the tragic loss of life and property caused by the devastating earthquake in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck a high-altitude region in western China and parts of Nepal on Tuesday, killing at least 126 people in Tibet, damaging hundreds of homes and scattering debris across streets.
Dozens of aftershocks further shook the remote area, trapping many under the rubble. Rescuers climbed piles of broken bricks and used ladders in badly damaged villages to search for survivors.
The epicenter of the earthquake occurred in Tingri county, Tibet, a region where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, generating powerful earthquakes capable of altering the heights of the Himalayan peaks.
While Tibet is part of China, many Tibetans remain loyal to the Dalai Lama, their spiritual leader who has lived in exile in India since a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. The region has long been a focal point of tension, with Western governments. and human rights organizations that accuse China of repressing dissent even as it invests heavily in economic development.
