On the morning of January 7th, 2025, a strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck Dingri County in the city of Shigatse, Tibet. The earthquake resulted in a large number of buildings collapsing, posing a significant challenge for the residents as the area’s altitude exceeds 4,000 meters and nighttime temperatures drop to below minus ten degrees Celsius, making staying warm a pressing concern for the affected population.
Dingri County is the largest border county in Tibet with a permanent population of about 60,000 people. According to Chinese state media reports, the disaster has claimed the lives of 126 individuals, left 188 injured, including 28 in critical condition. Additionally, 3,609 households have been destroyed, leaving more than 30,000 people homeless and in need of relocation and shelter.
Professor Wang Dun from China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) explained that with Dingri County’s average altitude at 4,500 meters, the thin air and high altitude pose challenges for rescue workers who must adapt to the conditions of the plateau. Coupled with the remote location of the epicenter, the earthquake may have damaged some transportation infrastructure, making it difficult for heavy machinery and personnel to access and evacuate the area. He also noted that the current winter season with harsh cold temperatures may further threaten the safety of those buried under debris.
Weather forecasts indicate that over the next three days from the 7th to the 9th, Dingri County will experience mainly sunny weather, but strong winds and cooling temperatures are expected. Wind gusts could reach levels of 8 to 9 on the Beaufort scale, and there will be significant temperature fluctuations with daytime highs around 7°C and nighttime lows dropping to -18°C.
Reports from Caixin on January 8th highlighted the urgent need for warmth among the affected population, especially during the cold nights. The neighboring county of Lazi also experienced earthquakes with a magnitude of over 3 on the same day, leading to building collapses. Local residents from Dingri and Lazi counties mentioned the critical shortage of tents, vital for surviving the freezing temperatures, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children.
Over the past 20 years, the Chinese Communist authorities have been promoting settlement projects for nomadic herders. However, an employee of the Cuo Guo Township government near the epicenter mentioned to Caixin that local houses are primarily constructed with mud walls, consisting of one to two stories, and are prone to collapse or cracking, exacerbating the severity of the situation. Personnel from the Dingri County Emergency Management Bureau also noted that the damaged houses mainly comprised civil structures with poor seismic resistance.
Citing the International Emergency Management Association’s representative for the Hong Kong and Macau area, Wang Zhaofeng, Southern Metropolis Daily reported that due to the weak seismic resistance of the houses and the earthquake striking during the cold early morning hours (Dingri County is 2 hours behind Beijing time), with many people still asleep or indoors, the casualties were higher in this earthquake.
The Tibet Autonomous Region Emergency Command has upgraded the earthquake emergency response level to Level I in response to the current situation in Dingri County.