Hundreds of people were rescued from the rubble after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake shook Tibet on Tuesday.
While rescuers are still working to find the many people missing after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Tibet on Tuesday, killing at least 126 people and injuring nearly 200, the region has since suffered more than 500 aftershocks, with magnitudes up to 4.4.
More than 400 people trapped under the rubble have been rescued, according to Chinese authorities, but the exact number of those missing remains unknown.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), the Ministry of Emergency Management has deployed nearly 1,850 rescuers and firefighters to the field. Local authorities say that more than 3,600 houses collapsed and 30,000 residents were relocated.
A high altitude area with freezing temperatures
Tents, quilts, folding beds and other relief items were sent to provide emergency shelter for those affected.
The areas surrounding the epicenter have an average altitude of around 4,200 meters and temperatures fell well below 0°C during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Mima Ciren, an officer with the Xizang Forest Fire Brigade, said his team was continuing rescue operations in about seven to eight villages. The team is also assessing the material damage suffered by the affected residents.
“Our next priority is to visit each village, as the affected area is quite large. Our aim is to understand the disaster situation in each village and locate the trapped people in order to provide preliminary reports to the rescue teams further important”he explains.
Earthquakes caused by the collision of tectonic plates are common in southwest China, Nepal and northern India. The epicenter of Tuesday’s earthquake is located at the point of contact between the Indian and Eurasian plates.
According to the US Geological Survey, more than 10 earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 6 have struck this region in the last century.
