On January 7th at 9:05 am, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County, Shigatse City, Tibet Autonomous Region, causing at least 126 fatalities and 3,612 houses to collapse. The temples in the epicenter area also suffered various degrees of damage, with two nuns losing their lives at the Zongbu Temple in Sangpu Township.
The Zongbu Temple is located near the mountaintop in Sangpu Township. According to nun Wu Jiansang, when the earthquake hit, the shaking was particularly severe. In the moment when she reached for her phone, she was pinned down by falling debris, unable to move. She immediately called for help to the director of the Sangpu Monastery, Tsering Wangzeng, located about two kilometers away.
After the earthquake, only two monks at the Sangpu Monastery suffered minor injuries, while the rest managed to take shelter safely. Upon receiving Wu Jiansang’s call, Tsering Wangzeng promptly organized a group of young monks to rush to the Zongbu Temple for rescue efforts.
According to Yundan Zuoma, the person in charge of the Zongbu Temple, a total of five individuals were injured during the earthquake, including Wu Jiansang. Among them, one person sustained more serious injuries. Unfortunately, Awang Luoqu, aged 55, and Deqing, aged 39, lost their lives.
Both temples, with a history of 500 years, are significant cultural heritage sites. The Sangpu Monastery is a protected cultural relic in Tibet.