BEIJING: The toll from Tibet’s devastating earthquake has risen sharply, with China nearly doubling its count of the injured as rescuers continue their search for survivors in the remote Tingri County, located at the foothills of the Himalayas. Despite dwindling hopes for those trapped under rubble, efforts to locate survivors persist.
The Global Times, a state-run newspaper, reported that the magnitude 6.8 quake has now injured 337 people, a significant increase from Tuesday’s initial estimate of 188. The death toll, however, remains steady at 126. While the exact number of missing persons is still unclear, experts fear that those trapped in collapsed structures may have perished due to hypothermia, with nighttime temperatures plummeting to as low as -15°C, not including wind chill.
Since the earthquake struck, the disaster zone has been rocked by over 1,600 aftershocks, complicating rescue and relief operations. Over 47,000 affected residents are being relocated to temporary shelters as authorities grapple with the scale of the disaster.
In response to the devastation, the Tibet Daily newspaper highlighted the urgency of the situation with the headline, “Make sure no one is left behind!” The report revealed that China’s ruling Communist Party’s regional secretary, Wang Junzheng, acted swiftly within 30 minutes of the quake’s occurrence to coordinate the rescue efforts. Wang visited the hardest-hit villages, where he was emotionally received by the local elderly, who performed Tibetan customs of respect by holding his hands and touching his forehead.
Despite the personal toll, many local officials, including Tibetan cadres, have joined the relief effort, often sifting through rubble and securing resettlement sites, even as their own homes have collapsed.
In Beijing, President Xi Jinping met with top officials to discuss disaster relief measures, with the official Xinhua news agency quoting leadership urging rapid rebuilding and enhanced resilience in the region. The government is also focused on securing long-term housing for those displaced, moving beyond temporary shelters.
To support relief efforts, the government has dispatched 743,000 tonnes of supplies, including grains, cooking oil, meat, and vegetables. An additional 2,000 tonnes of frozen pork and 1,600 tonnes of frozen beef and mutton are prepared for further delivery to the affected region.
