Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Dozens are dead and injured after a strong earthquake struck a remote region in China's Tibet on Tuesday morning.
Details of the Earthquake
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.1-magnitude temblor struck at a depth of about 6 miles shortly after 9 a.m. local time in Tibet's Dingri County, a mountainous region located near along the border with Nepal. The China Earthquake Networks Center, which measured the initial earthquake as a magnitude 6.8, recorded several aftershocks, with the most recent occurring at 2:08 p.m.
Casualties and Damage Reported
China's state-run media outlet Xinhua reported that 53 people were confirmed dead and 62 others were injured. Buildings have reportedly collapsed.
Response from Chinese Leader Xi Jinping
Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in a statement, called for every effort to be spent on search-and-rescue missions to minimize casualties. He also ordered for earthquake monitoring and early warning systems to be strengthened.
Background of Dingri County
Dingri County is home to Tibet's second-largest city of Shigatse, with a population of nearly 800,000 people. It is also the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest-ranking spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism.
According to the USGS, the region has a history of strong earthquakes, with 10 temblors of magnitude 6 or greater striking within 155 miles of Tuesday's strike in the past century.
A series of earthquakes that hit the region in 2015 killed nearly 8,670 people while causing widespread damage, it said.
This is a developing story.
