Two earthquakes, including one of magnitude 7, struck Tibet on Thursday evening within a span of around 40 minutes, weeks after deadly flash floods and landslides hit the Nepal-Tibet border region in August. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the stronger quake occurred at a depth of 173 km, around 489 km north-north-west of Pandin in Arunachal Pradesh, while the second, measuring 5 in magnitude, struck at a depth of 15 km.
India's National Center for Seismology (NCS) said the main quake occurred at 8:03 pm IST. According to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) with its epicentre in a county in Nagqu in the north of of the Autonomous Prefecture of Tibet.
Differing Depth Readings
Estimates of how deep the quake struck vary widely. The CENC put the depth at around 10 km, while the NCS reported a much deeper 173 km. Earthquakes closer to the surface usually produce stronger shaking.
ALSO READ | Earthquake In Uttarakhand: Magnitude 4.2 Quake Hits Uttarkashi, No Damage Reported
Less than half an hour after the main quake, at 8:29 pm IST, the NCS logged a magnitude 5.2 tremor around 505 km north-north-west of Pangin in Arunachal Pradesh, 15 km below the surface. A magnitude 5 quake followed at about 8:42 pm IST, centred roughly 323 km north-north-west of Basar in Arunachal Pradesh, at the same depth.
Details on deaths, injuries or damage were not immediately available. Authorities are reported to be assessing the impact in the remote area.
ALSO READ | An 8.1-Magnitude Earthquake Warning? Uttarakhand Study Raises Concern
A Region Still Recovering
The latest quakes add to the challenges facing a region still recovering from August's disaster. Floods and landslides that began near the Nepal-Tibet border destroyed homes and buildings in northern and central Nepal, leaving more than 1,400 people dead. Thousands of others were reported missing. Damage from the floods to roads, bridges and housing could make it harder to check how well structures have held up after the new earthquake.
Tibet is a seismically active region, lying close to where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. It recorded more than 100 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or above in 2024. Even so, earthquakes measuring 7 or more are rare there.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.