12 killed in Tibet earthquake

The powerful earthquake that struck neighbouring Nepal on Saturday has killed 12 people and injured many more in Tibet, southwest China, authorities said.

A massive 7.9.-magnitude quake shook Nepal at 2.11 p.m. Beijing time, followed by a second 7.0-magnitude quake at 2,45 p.m., leaving over 1,000 people dead in the country.

The quake also strongly jolted the neighbouring regions in Tibet.

It killed seven people in the county of Nyalam and five people in the county of Gyirong. Both the counties in Xigaze are about 40 km from the epicentre.

The quake also damaged buildings and roads and cut off telecommunications in the two counties and several neighbouring regions.

The exact loss is not immediately known.

Following strong earthquakes in Nepal, a 5.9-magnitude quake shook Dingri county of Xigaze at 5.17 p.m. Saturday.

Chen Quanguo, Communist Party of China (CPC) chief of Tibet, has ordered evacuation of people in the quake-hit regions to avoid further deaths and injuries from aftershocks and secondary disasters.

About 600 border guards are currently involved in the rescue operation in Nyalam and Gyirong.

A total of 3,204 firefighters and 87 sniffer dogs from Tibet and neighbouring provinces have also been readied to go to the quake-struck areas.

The authorities are sending tents, quilts, clothes, medicine and bottled water to the regions.