Scenes of devastation after 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Tibet

The earthquake occurred in Dingri County in China's Tibet region, near the border with Nepal, at 9:05 a.m. today (8:05 a.m. Hanoi time) with the epicenter at a depth of 10 km, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

As of 3 p.m., local authorities had recorded at least 95 deaths and 130 injuries. "Dingri County and surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors and many buildings near the epicenter collapsed," China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

According toXinhua, there are 27 villages and 6,900 people living within a 20 km radius of the epicenter. Population data shows that the population of Dingri district is more than 61,000.

Sangji Dangzhi, owner of a supermarket in Dingri, said the site had suffered extensive damage and the situation was “very serious”. Ambulances were taking victims to emergency rooms throughout the day. “Most of the buildings here are mud houses, so they are prone to collapse during an earthquake,” he said.

In this photo, rescue workers are searching for victims under the rubble. More than 3,400 rescue workers and more than 340 medical staff have been mobilized to the disaster area.

News agencyXinhuasaid more than 1,000 homes were damaged and authorities were assessing the impact of the earthquake.

Chinese President Xi Jinping asked local authorities to "concentrate all efforts on search and rescue work, minimize casualties, resettle affected people and ensure their safety through the winter".

According to the China Meteorological Administration, daytime temperatures in Dingri will be around -8 degrees Celsius and will drop to -18 degrees Celsius in the evening. Sunny weather is forecast for the next three days, with lows ranging from -18 degrees Celsius to -14 degrees Celsius.

People were kept warm and taken to evacuation sites after the earthquake.

Walls cracked and broken in many parts at a restaurant in Lhatse district.

A restaurant in Shigatse City was also badly damaged.

Dingri County is located in the Tibetan Plateau and is part of Shigatse, the autonomous region's second-largest city. Earthquakes are common in the region, but today's quake was the strongest in five years within a 200-kilometer radius, the CENC added.

Rocks fall from the mountain onto the road near Shigatse.

The southwestern region of China, Nepal and northern India is prone to earthquakes due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.