March 23,2020 -- No deaths have been reported in the wake of the magnitude-5.9 earthquake that struck Tibet's Dingri county on Friday morning. More information is expected to be released after further evaluation and verification, local authorities said.

 

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the quake jolted the county at 9:33 am on Friday, at a depth of 10 kilometers.

 

After the quake, the governments of Shigatse city and Dingri county activated preset emergency response mechanisms. Monitoring teams were sent to the affected areas.

 

Hundreds of rescuers were dispatched to the epicenter by the Dingri County Fire Rescue Brigade, the Shigatse Fire Rescue Detachment and the city's forest fire rescue brigade. They are standing by to respond as needed.

 

According to the latest information provided by the county government, the quake was intense and felt strongly in the county's center area, including in the townships of Damso, Chulho, Tsogo and Nyishar.

 

Houses had cracks in the county's townships of Damso and Tsogo, and cracks and light damage were seen in the houses of monks at the Dewajan Monastery in the county's Chulho township.

 

The epicenter of the quake is 29 kilometers from Dingri county, 159 km from Shigatse and 377 km from the region's capital, Lhasa.

 

Dingri is located at the base of Qomolangma (Mount Everest) and is part of the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve. Its average altitude is over 5,000 meters.