Luasa: Thirty-two people have been confirmed dead and 38 others injured during the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in Xizang Autonomous Region at 9:05 a.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time), according to the regional disaster relief headquarters.
Over 1,000 houses have sustained varying degrees of damage.
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.
The epicenter was monitored at 28.5 degrees north latitude and 87.45 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Center.
The epicenter is 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.
