STRAFP
A devastating earthquake in China's remote Tibet region killed at least 95 people and collapsed "many buildings" on Tuesday, state media reported, with tremors also felt in neighbouring Nepal's capital Kathmandu and parts of India.
Videos published by China's state broadcaster CCTV showed houses destroyed with walls torn apart.
Rescue workers waded through rubble strewn across the ruins in the aftermath of the earthquake, footage showed, while some gave locals thick blankets to keep warm in subzero temperatures.
Surveillance images published by CCTV showed people running through a store's aisles as shelves shook violently, sending objects like toys tumbling to the ground.
"A total of 95 people have been confirmed dead and 130 others injured as of 3 pm (0700 GMT)," Xinhua news agency said.
More than a thousand houses have been damaged, Xinhua reported earlier.
The powerful quake struck Tingri County with a magnitude of 6.8 near the border with Nepal at 9:05 am, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The US Geological Survey reported the tremor as magnitude 7.1.
Sangji Dangzhi, whose supermarket in Tingri County suffered considerable damage, described the situation as "very serious", with ambulances taking people to the hospital throughout the day.
"Here the houses are made from dirt, so when the earthquake came... lots of houses collapsed," the 34-year-old, who returned home from Shigatse after the quake struck, told AFP by phone.
CCTV reported that Tingri County and its surrounding areas "experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed".
In the town of Lhatse, videos geolocated by AFP showed debris scattered in front of streetside eateries.
CCTV added that Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised "the all-out search and rescue efforts, minimizing casualties to the greatest extent possible, properly resettling affected residents, and ensuring their safety and warmth through the winter."
Xinhua reported that "local authorities are contacting various townships in the county to assess the impact of the quake."
Temperatures in Tingri are around minus 8 degrees Celsius and will drop to minus 18 this evening, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
Xinhua reported that central authorities had dispatched disaster relief aid, including cotton tents, quilts, and items for high-altitude and frigid areas, to areas impacted by the quake.
The high-altitude county in the Tibet region, situated on the Chinese side of Mount Everest, is home to around 62,000 people.
The CENC added that Tuesday's quake was the most powerful recorded within a 200-kilometre radius in the last five years.
