6.8 magnitude quake strikes Tibet

[Anchor]

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake has occurred in the western Tibetan region of China.

The powerful earthquake struck a high-altitude, quiet rural village, and it is estimated that nearly one hundred people have died so far.

This is a report from KBS correspondent Kim Min-jung in Beijing.

[Report]

Products displayed in stores shook side to side before toppling over, and startled people rushed outside.

At 9 AM local time today (1.7), an earthquake measuring 6.8 according to Chinese authorities and 7.1 according to the U.S. Geological Survey hit the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

In rural areas, old buildings and houses could not withstand the strong tremors and collapsed.

[Earthquake victim: "This is the first time I've experienced such a strong earthquake. The ceiling collapsed, and the CCTV was also damaged."]

Chinese authorities have reported that at least 95 people have died and 130 have been injured so far.

With around 6,900 residents within 20km of the epicenter and over a thousand buildings damaged, the scale of the damage is likely to increase.

In this region, more than 20 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher have occurred since the 1950s due to the activity of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau fault.

This earthquake is the strongest among them in the past five years.

There is a possibility of aftershocks, raising concerns about additional damage.

[Zhang Haikun/Researcher, China Earthquake Administration/CCTV report: "There is still a possibility of earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher occurring again."]

Chinese authorities have dispatched rescue teams and are procuring relief supplies such as blankets and tents for the victims.

However, as the affected area is a high-altitude region with an average elevation of over 4,000 meters, and the forecast indicates that the minimum temperature will drop to minus 18 degrees Celsius for the time being, difficulties in providing relief to the victims are expected.

This is Kim Min-jung from KBS News in Beijing.