5.0-magnitude earthquake rattles Tibet amid flood fears

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck China’s Tibet Autonomous Region late Thursday (August 27), days after devastating flash floods and landslides killed hundreds and left about 1,500 people missing in the Himalayan border region.

The moderate quake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre in northern Tibet, according to Germany’s GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.

The tremor struck hundreds of miles north of the Nepal-China border area that was hit by severe flooding and landslides a day earlier. The disasters have left at least 469 people dead and about 1,500 missing, according to the latest figures cited in reports.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, citing the China Earthquake Networks Centre, reported that a 4.7-magnitude earthquake also struck Nagqu in Tibet on Wednesday.

The latest tremor comes as authorities remain on alert over the risk of further flooding in the region. China has issued a Level IV flood emergency for parts of Tibet amid concerns that a barrier lake could breach its banks and send floodwaters downstream.

The Ministry of Water Resources has instructed local authorities to closely monitor the barrier lake and rainfall, Xinhua reported. It has also dispatched an expert team to Gyirong County to assess the situation and provide guidance on emergency response.

The barrier lake was formed after a landslide at the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, which originate in Tibet and flow into Nepal as part of the Bhote Koshi river system.

Source: The Straits Times