95 people killed in 6.8 earthquake in Tibet with tremors felt in Nepal

Beijing: At least 95 people were killed and 130 injured in Tibet's Xigaze city on Tuesday by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake. People were forced to flee their homes due to tremors detected in Nepal as well.

At 9:05 a.m. on Tuesday (Beijing Time), the earthquake rocked Dingri County in Xigaze, Tibet Autonomous Region in China, according to regional disaster relief headquarters.

95 people have been confirmed dead, and 130 others injured, state-run Xinhua reported.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Earthquake Centre of India put the magnitude to 7.1 saying the epicentre is located at China's Xizang of Tingri county, located 90 km North-East of Lobutse in the Khumbu Himalayan range of North-East Nepal.

However, China recorded a magnitude of 6.8. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Centre, state-run Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, in Nepal's Kathmandu, the strong earthquake forced people to run out of their houses. It was felt in Kavrepalanchwok, Sindhupalanchok Dhading and Solukhumbu districts as well.

Many people came out of their houses due to panic in Kathmandu. People witnessed the trees and electric wires on the streets shaking for some time.

At least half a dozen tremors with magnitude ranging from 4 to 5 were also recorded within a time span of an hour around 7 am, according to the USGS report.

The tremor was strong enough to terrorise people in Nepal, who recalled the 2015 great earthquake that killed 9,000 people.

However, a Nepal Police spokesperson says that so far they have not received any information regarding any major physical damage or human causality.

As the epicentre lies in Tibet stronger tremors were felt by people living in Northern Nepal, Nepal Police spokesperson Bishwo Adhikari said.