Powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake hits Tibet near India-China border; no casualties

The quake that was initially reported as a magnitude 6.7 struck at 6:34 am (2234 GMT on Friday) at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles (10 km) on the Tibetan Plateau.

By Samhati Bhattacharjya
November 18, 2017 13:47 +08

Major earthquake hits China's Xinjiang, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzsthan — People work on the side of a damaged house, after an earthquake hit Hotan area, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, July 3, 2015. A strong earthquake hit a rural part of China's far western Xinjiang region on Friday, killing three people, injuring dozens and destroying or damaging thousands of homes, the government and state media said. Picture taken July 3, 2015. REUTERS

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake jolted a remote corner of Tibet in southern China near the Indian border early on Saturday morning, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

According to USGS, the quake that was initially reported as a magnitude 6.7 struck at 6:34 am (2234 GMT on Friday) at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles (10 km) on the Tibetan Plateau.

The China Earthquake Administration said that the epicenter is located at Nyingchi in China's Tibet Autonomous Region near China's disputed border with India. Reports said that the area is sparsely populated and known for its soaring Himalayan peaks and sacred Tibetan sites.

Xinhua, the official news agency in China reported that several homes were damaged due to the earthquake. However, there were no reports of casualties.