Dozens Dead in Tibet Following Severe Earthquake

shigatse - A powerful earthquake in Tibet has resulted in at least 36 reported deaths according to local media in China.

According to the Chinese geological service CENC, the earthquake registered a magnitude of 6.8. The US Geological Survey reported a magnitude of 7.1, with the epicenter near the Tibetan city of Shigatse. The earthquake struck at 02:05 Dutch time, which was 09:05 in Tibet, an autonomous region in southwestern China.

Reporters from the AFP news agency stated that the earthquake was felt as far as the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, about four hundred kilometers southwest of Shigatse. No casualties have been reported on the Nepalese side. In Namche, near Mount Everest, there was significant shaking, according to a government source.

The Mount Everest, the world's highest peak popular among climbers, can be ascended from both the southern side in Nepal and the northern side in Tibet. The Chinese meteorological service reported that the current temperature in the region is around 8 degrees below zero, dropping to -18 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night.

The earthquake was also felt in Bhutan and India, with no reports of damage or casualties so far. Several aftershocks followed in the hours after the severe earthquake.

The region is prone to earthquakes, with a magnitude 7.9 earthquake hitting the Chinese province of Sichuan in 2008, claiming the lives of over 80,000 people according to authorities.