The death toll in a devastating earthquake in China’s remote Tibet region rose to 126 people.
The havoc injured 188, and collapsed “many buildings” on Tuesday, state media reported.
Tremors also felt in neighboring Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and parts of India.
Videos published by China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed houses destroyed with walls torn apart.
Rescue workers waded through rubble strewn across the ruins in the aftermath of the earthquake, footage showed, while some gave locals thick blankets to keep warm in subzero temperatures.
Surveillance images published by CCTV showed people running through a store’s aisles as shelves shook violently, sending objects like toys tumbling to the ground.
“A total of 126 people have been confirmed dead and 188 others injured as of 7:00 pm (1100 GMT) Tuesday,” Xinhua reported.
More than a thousand houses have been damaged, Xinhua reported earlier.
The powerful quake struck Tingri county with a magnitude of 6.8 near the border with Nepal at 9:05 am, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The US Geological Survey reported the tremor as magnitude 7.1.
Sangji Dangzhi, whose supermarket in Tingri county suffered considerable damage, described the situation as “very serious” with ambulances taking people to hospital throughout the day.
“Here the houses are made from dirt so when the earthquake came… lots of houses collapsed,” the 34-year-old, who returned home from Shigatse after the quake struck, told AFP by phone.
CCTV reported that Tingri county and its surrounding areas “experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed”.
In the town of Lhatse, videos geolocated by AFP showed debris scattered in front of streetside eateries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised “the all-out search and rescue efforts, minimizing casualties to the greatest extent possible, properly resettling affected residents, and ensuring their safety and warmth through the winter”, CCTV added.
Xinhua said that “local authorities are reaching out to various townships in the county to assess the impact of the quake”.
Temperatures in Tingri are around minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and will drop to minus 18 this evening, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
Disaster relief aid, including cotton tents, quilts and items for high-altitude and frigid areas, had been dispatched by central authorities to areas impacted by the quake, Xinhua said.
The high-altitude county in the Tibet region is home to around 62,000 people and situated on the Chinese side of Mount Everest.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
