126 Dead, 188 injured: As 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Tibet near Everest, tremors felt in India

World: A massive 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Tibet near the border with Nepal, killing at least 126 people. The quake was felt in several areas of India: Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal.

Deadly Earthquake Hits Tibet Near Mount Everest

A massive 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Tibet on the Nepalese border on January 7, 2025, causing severe damage with human casualties. According to reports, the epicenter lay in Tingri County in Shigatse City, nearly 400 km southwest of Tibet's capital city, Lhasa. So often is the space famous for being adjacent to Mount Everest that it has become a common ground for tourists; trekkers and adventure enthusiasts thronged the region for years.

Region continues to experience aftershocks

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported that the first tremor was experienced at 6:35 am, and the two aftershocks followed this event. The second one was of 4.7 magnitude, occurring at 7:02 am, while the third one had a magnitude of 4.9 at 7:07 am. Shockwaves caused by the main event also agitated the people living in the area and the tourists.

Tremors in India and Nepal

Tremors from the earthquake were felt in parts of India, including Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal. In Bihar, people were seen running out of their homes and apartments in panic. However, there were no reports of major damage or casualties in India. Nepal, with its geologically active landscape and seismically turbulent areas, has experienced several such disasters in the past, the most recent of which killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015.

The Tibetan-Nepalese region is situated at the junction where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates constantly move. It is prone to frequent earthquakes because of these tectonic plate movements. Geological activity accounts for the splendor of the Himalayas as well as seismic instability in this region, thus rendering earthquakes a constant threat for nearby communities.