Over 500 Aftershocks in One Day Following Major Earthquake in Tibet, China...126 Dead

Chinese earthquake authorities announced on the 8th that more than 500 aftershocks occurred within a day following a strong earthquake in the Tibet Autonomous Region in western China on the 7th.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake (according to Chinese standards; the US Geological Survey measured it as 7.1) struck Lhokha (Shigatse) City in the Tibet Autonomous Region at 9:05 a.m. local time the previous day, and by 8 a.m. the following day, a total of 515 aftershocks had occurred.

Rescue operations at the earthquake site in Lhoka City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Among these, aftershocks with a magnitude below 3.0 were the most frequent at 488, while those above 3.0 numbered 27. Of these, 24 were between 3.0 and 3.9, and there were 3 aftershocks exceeding magnitude 4. The strongest aftershock measured 4.4 in magnitude.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) also confirmed multiple aftershocks since the previous day. According to the earthquake data displayed on the USGS status map, aftershocks of magnitude 4 or higher (up to a maximum of 5.1) have continued around the epicenter since the previous day. The most recent aftershock occurred at 8:08 a.m. on the day and measured 4.1 in magnitude.

According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, as of 7 p.m. the previous day, 126 people were confirmed dead and 188 injured. Twenty-eight seriously injured individuals were transported to hospitals for treatment. The number of houses collapsed due to the earthquake was counted at 3,609.