6.8-magnitude quake in Tibet kills 95 people with tremors felt in Nepal
Beijing (PTI): A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck near one of Tibet’s holiest cities on Tuesday, killing at least 95 people and injuring 130 others with tremors also shaking buildings and forcing people to run to the streets in neighbouring Nepal.
According to regional disaster relief headquarters, the quake jolted Dingri County in Xigaze in Tibet Autonomous Region in China at 9:05 am Tuesday (Beijing Time). The US Geological Service, however, put the quake's magnitude at 7.1.
At least 95 people have been confirmed dead and 130 others injured as of 3 p.m. Tuesday (local time), state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts to carry out relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.
Xi ordered utmost efforts to treat the injured and urged efforts to prevent secondary disasters, properly resettle affected residents, and handle the aftermath work effectively.
Following the quake, China Earthquake Administration launched a level-II emergency service response and sent a work team to the site to assist with disaster relief efforts.
Xizang Autonomous Region also issued a level-II emergency response to the quake.
Some 22,000 disaster relief items, including cotton tents, cotton coats, quilts and folding beds, together with special relief materials for high-altitude and frigid areas, have been dispatched by central authorities to the quake-hit area.
Over 1,500 local firefighters and rescue workers have also been dispatched to the ground.
Xigaze also known as Shigaste is close to the border with India. Shigatse is considered one of the holiest cities of Tibet. It is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, a key figure of Tibetan Buddhism whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.
The epicentre was located in Tsogo Township of Dingri County, which has a population of approximately 6,900 people within a 20-km radius. There are 27 villages within this area.
Official data show Dingri County has a population of over 61,000 people.
The epicentre is located 90 km North-East of Lobutse in the Khumbu Himalayan range of North-East Nepal. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Centre, state-run Xinhua reported.
In his message, President Xi said it is essential to strengthen earthquake monitoring and early warning, promptly allocate emergency rescue supplies, expedite the repair of damaged infrastructure, ensure that the basic needs of residents are met, and guarantee a safe and warm winter for all.
China refers to Tibet as Xizang, part of the Himalayan region.
The Tibetan plateau is known to be prone to heavy earthquakes as it sits right over the place where the tectonic Eurasian and Indian plates meet, often colliding with huge force.
Shigaste also suffered significant damage in the massive 8.1-magnitude quake that devastated Nepal in 2015. Eighteen people were killed and 55 injured in the Shigaste region when a massive 8.1-magnitude quake hit Nepal and the wider Himalayan in 2015.
Meanwhile, in Nepal, 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 buildings, trees and electric wires on the streets shaking for some time.
However, a Nepal Police spokesperson says that so far they have not received any information regarding any human causality.
An official at Shankhuwasabha District Administrative Office said a two-storey building made of stone was damaged in Kimathanka Rural Municipality of the district due to the earthquake.
As the epicentre lies in Tibet, stronger tremors were felt by people living in Northern Nepal, Nepal Police spokesperson Bishwo Adhikari said.
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.
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BJP eyes gains in polls to five assemblies; West Bengal main challenge
New Delhi (PTI): Stakes are high for the BJP in the upcoming polls to five assemblies, with West Bengal being the major test case for the saffron party.
In the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls, the BJP emerged as the main opposition with its tally surging to 77 seats in the 294-member assembly from three in 2016.
With a recalibrated poll strategy, the BJP is confident of unseating the TMC from power this time by cashing in on the anti-incumbency sentiments against the Mamata Banerjee government. The party is also hoping to gain public sentiment by raising the issue of corruption and infiltration in the state.
The TMC has been in power in West Bengal for 15 years.
However, the biggest challenge for the BJP is the absence of a local charismatic leader in West Bengal. While the saffron party is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership to win the battle there, Banerjee continues to be a formidable face in the state.
In Assam, the BJP-led NDA is confident of scoring a hat-trick under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, banking on its governance record and organisational strength.
But its march to victory may not be a cakewalk, with the Congress-led opposition making efforts to cash in on anti-incumbency and local grievances against the ruling dispensation.
The BJP-led NDA may also face resistance from sections of minority voters, particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims, amid criticism from the opposition over the government's eviction drives and rhetoric around illegal immigration.
Issues such as long-pending demands of six communities for Scheduled Tribe status could also figure in the electoral discourse.
The BJP has been on the rise in Assam since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and came to power in the state for the first time in 2016 by winning 60 seats in the 126-member assembly. It improved its tally to 64 in the 2021 assembly elections.
Its allies AGP, UPPL and BPF have nine, seven, and three MLAs in the outgoing assembly.
In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF has 15 members, and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is an Independent legislator as well.
In the south, the BJP has been making renewed efforts to expand its toehold in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, banking on its performance in past elections. But its success depends on its allies.
The BJP, which could not win any seat in the last assembly polls in Kerala, is hoping to gain some ground this time, riding on its success in the recent civic body polls, even as the Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF are the prime contenders in the state.
Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be held on a single day on April 9, in Tamil Nadu on April 23, and in two phases in West Bengal on April 23 and 29, while votes will be counted for all polls on May 4, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.
