LHASA, Jan. 7: Fifty-three people have been confirmed dead, and 62 others injured as of Tuesday noon after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in Xizang Autonomous Region at 9:05 a.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time).

Many buildings near the epicentre of Dingri and its surrounding areas have collapsed, with social media clips showing shattered rooftops and windows.

China’s State Council’s earthquake relief and emergency management departments have activated a Level-3 emergency response, dispatching a working group to guide rescue and relief work.

The Western Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has dispatched a 50-strong team to the disaster-stricken areas to carry out rescue operations.

Tremors were also felt in neighboring Nepal’s capital Kathmandu some 400 kilometers away.