Magnitude 5 quake shakes Tibet as flood rescue efforts continue
A magnitude-5 earthquake struck Tibet at a depth of 10 km, occurring while authorities persisted in flood-relief operations after deadly rains near the Gyirong crossing.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences, a magnitude-5 earthquake hit Tibet on Thursday, emanating from a depth of 10 km. The tremor arrived as rescue and recovery missions were underway following severe flooding near the Gyirong border crossing with Nepal last week. China fully reopened the only road to the crossing on Wednesday, enabling heavy machinery to access the main disaster zone for the first time after earlier sections were washed away.
The flood disaster has claimed 21 lives and left 541 people missing, among them 104 Nepali, 49 Indian, 33 Latvian and six Canadian citizens. Persistent rain, precarious cliffs and a fast-flowing river in a narrow gorge continue to impede rescue operations, although authorities say the threat from monitored upstream lakes has decreased. Landslides remain a lingering concern for responders.
Why it matters
The quake adds danger to an already critical flood rescue effort, affecting thousands of missing victims.
How this story developed
- Aug 27 Flash Floods from Glacial Collapse Leave Hundreds Dead and Thousands Missing on Nepal-Tibet Border
- Aug 31 Stage‑four water restrictions were enacted after the Transcanyon waterline was destroyed.
- Aug 31 Drilling and air‑pumping operations at the Trishuli‑3A tunnel have begun to free trapped workers.
- Aug 31 The number of missing persons in Nepal has risen to about 4,200.
- Sep 1 Death toll rose to at least 950 and missing counts climbed to over 4,400, including about 80 Americans and up to 43 Australians.
- Sep 1 A second fatality was confirmed, bringing the death toll to two.
- Sep 1 A rapid hazard assessment found satellite images showed glacier changes days before the deadly avalanche and flash flood that trapped hundreds of construction workers in Nepal.
- Sep 1 An Australian survivor was located, reducing the number of missing Australians to 42.
- Sep 1 Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths in Tibet and 546 people still missing on the Chinese side of the disaster.
- Sep 1 John Giusti identified as the deceased victim and a third companion, Timothy Smith, remains missing.
- Sep 1 Two victims identified and rescue operations reported to have saved about 80 people.
- Sep 2 South Rim hotels and lodges were ordered to close indefinitely because of the water outage.
- Sep 2 A scientific review released new findings on pre‑event signals in the glacier collapse.
- Sep 3 Families held symbolic funerals for missing victims.
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