**Earthquake Hits Dagze County in Shigatse, Tibet**
Recently, a strong earthquake struck Dagze County in Shigatse City, Tibet. According to authorities, following the 6.8 magnitude earthquake, there have been over a thousand aftershocks. Local reports indicate that 90% of the buildings in Dagze County have collapsed, leaving a trail of destruction. The earthquake resulted in significant casualties, and the official death toll has been questioned by the public.
On January 9th, the Tibetan Autonomous Region government held a press conference. Authorities reported that as of 6:00 am on the 9th, the earthquake in Dagze County had claimed the lives of 126 people, with 61,500 individuals affected. Preliminary assessments show that the earthquake caused the collapse of 3,612 houses.
The strong earthquake in Dagze County, Tibet, occurred at 9:05 am on January 7th. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake as a magnitude 7.1 with a depth of 10 kilometers.
However, the official record from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stated a magnitude of 6.8. According to the authorities, as of 7:00 pm on the 7th, the earthquake had resulted in 126 deaths and 188 injuries, with no further updates on the casualties.
As per the Tibet Seismological Bureau, as of 3:00 pm on January 9th, the aftershocks from the January 7th earthquake in Dagze County numbered over 1,200, including 33 aftershocks of magnitude 3.0 or higher. The largest aftershock measured 4.4 in magnitude and was approximately 18 kilometers from the epicenter.
The reported casualty figures by the authorities have been strongly questioned by the Tibetan government-in-exile and the Central Tibetan Administration’s Tibet Policy Institute Director, Dawa Tsering.
Dawa Tsering, in an interview with Voice of America, expressed doubts about the accuracy of the CCP’s reporting. He stated, “The CCP will definitely underreport, it’s just a question of how much. They would report fewer deaths if they can, perhaps pretend the missing do not exist. This could be a policy of the Chinese government or local officials not willing to report more, fearing repercussions.”
According to information he obtained, the actions and speech of earthquake-affected Tibetans are being strictly monitored by the authorities.
Dawa Tsering mentioned, “Information coming from Nepal indicates that the Chinese government is tightening control over local Tibetans, prohibiting them from taking photos or sharing information about the disaster area. There are punishments for spreading information or concerns about receiving no benefits in the future during reconstruction. The local victims are afraid to disseminate any information.”
Gan Su, a resident known as Qi Hao, was in Dagze County for work when the earthquake struck. He and his colleagues were trapped in the area due to the quake. On January 8th, he informed a reporter that only rescue and official vehicles were allowed to enter Dagze County, with strict controls in place even before the earthquake intensified.
Unable to leave, Qi Hao collaborated with a group of about 20 people to purchase relief supplies for the heavily affected region. He mentioned that 90% of the local houses had collapsed, and the sight along the way was one of rubble and destruction. The earthquake’s severity was exacerbated by the traditional rural houses lacking reinforcement, easily crumbling under the quake’s impact.
He noted that most villagers were asleep at home when the earthquake struck. At the township government office, 18 casualties were already visible, but no one had accurate casualty information.
Due to the earthquake’s impact, parts of Dagze County and Razi County in Tibet experienced power outages. Major national and provincial roads, as well as rural roads, suffered varying degrees of damage. The communication networks in Sholug Township and Qulo Township, Dagze County, were severely disrupted.
Regarding the primary causes of severe damage to houses in this earthquake, Li Xiuwu, Director of the Tibet Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department, explained during a press conference on January 9th that the high magnitude and intensity of the earthquake, shallow epicenter depth, and proximity of the epicenter to surrounding towns and villages contributed to the extensive damage to buildings.
However, Su Dechen, a researcher at the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, believed that the poor quality and long-term lack of maintenance of local houses might have been the chief reasons for the collapse of buildings and casualties.
According to data from the China Meteorological Administration, the current temperature in Dagze County, Shigatse City, is around minus 8 degrees Celsius, dropping to minus 18 degrees Celsius on the night the earthquake occurred.
Qi Hao revealed that the villagers in the area live in extreme poverty, with relief supplies yet to reach them on the first day, leaving the earthquake-affected individuals suffering in the cold weather.
Shortly after the earthquake in Dagze County, Tibet, several charitable organizations overseen by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the United Front Work Department of the CCP publicly called for individuals and businesses to donate and assist the disaster-stricken area. However, the credibility of official charitable organizations has been criticized.
Dawa Tsering, Director of the Tibet Policy Institute of the Central Tibetan Administration, disclosed that reports from Nepal indicated that due to limited resources, many tents had been occupied by rescue personnel, the military, hospitals, or various institutions, leaving fewer resources for the common people.