China shuts down Mt Everest scenic area after 6.8-magnitude quake hits Tibet
Beijing (PTI): China has closed for tourists the scenic areas of its side of Mt Everest, also known as Mount Qomolangma, following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that jolted Dingri County in the Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday.
Dingri is home to the base camp of the world's highest peak.
According to local authorities, the staff and tourists were in safe condition after the quake, which hit the region at 9:05 am Tuesday (Beijing Time).
Fifty-three people were killed and 62 injured in the earthquake, according to the regional disaster relief headquarters.
The hotel buildings and surrounding areas in the scenic area have remained intact, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Dingri Culture and Tourism Bureau.
However, the Qomolangma Station for Atmospheric and Environmental Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, located in Dingri, is experiencing a power outage. Despite this, the facilities have remained in good condition.
Located at the China-Nepal border, Mount Qomolangma reaches an altitude of more than 8,840 metres, with its northern section located in Tibet referred to as Xizang by China.
The weather forecast showed that Dingri's temperature ranged from minus 18 degrees Celsius to zero.
The Chinese side of Mount Qomolangma received 13,764 overseas tourists in 2024, more than twice the number recorded in 2023, Xinhua reported
The majority of tourists were from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and France, according to the County Bureau of Culture and Tourism.
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Malappuram, Kannur record rise in voters after final electoral roll in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): As the ECI released the revised electoral roll after the SIR process in Kerala, two districts — Malappuram and Kannur — recorded an increase in the number of voters.
As per the data, the fresh electoral roll has 2,69,53,644 voters, compared to 2,78,50,855 prior to the commencement of the SIR in October last year.
Malappuram, which has the highest electorate in the state, saw its voter count rise from 34,13,174 in October 2025 to 36,15,970 in the final list, registering an increase of 2,02,796 voters.
Kannur also witnessed a rise, with the voter count increasing from 21,13,255 to 21,60,497, adding 47,242 voters.
Among the districts that saw a decline, Thiruvananthapuram recorded the highest reduction, with 3,21,582 fewer voters in the final roll.
Ernakulam followed with a drop of 1,83,271voters
Wayanad has the lowest number of voters in the state at 6,40,947, followed by Idukki with 7,99,254 and Pathanamthitta with 9,74,802 voters.
After Malappuram, the district with the second highest number of voters is Kozhikode with 26,57,478 followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 25,97,478 voters and Kollam with 25,26,325.
