Over 50 dead, several injured as powerful earthquake strikes Tibet, tremors felt in India

Over 50 people lost their lives as six earthquakes, including a powerful one measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, struck Tibet within an hour on Tuesday morning. The tremors were felt across India, Nepal, and Bhutan, shaking buildings and prompting panic.

Earlier, according to Reuters, citing local reports, at least 36 people were killed in Tibet. China's Xinhua news agency reported 32 deaths and 38 injuries, while the Associated Press confirmed nine fatalities in western China.

The initial earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.1, struck Xizang near the Nepal-Tibet border at 6:35 am, as reported by the National Centre for Seismology. Chinese officials recorded a slightly lower magnitude of 6.8 in Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city. Two aftershocks, measuring 4.7 and 4.9, followed in the same region.

In Nepal's capital Kathmandu, residents ran out of their homes as strong tremors shook the city. 

Strong tremors were also felt in Delhi-NCR, Bihar, West Bengal, and the northeastern states of India, including Assam.

The epicenter of the earthquake lies in a seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, causing uplift in the Himalayan region. This area has witnessed 29 earthquakes with magnitudes above 3 in the past five years, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV.

Authorities are assessing the damage and monitoring aftershocks as rescue operations continue. Further updates are awaited.