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"Earthquake in the Himalayas." Just reading that phrase is enough to tell you how dangerous the situation is and how difficult mounting a rescue campaign will be.
On January 7, a magnitude-6.8 earthquake struck Dingri County in Xigaze, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. The county lies on the northern slope of the Himalayas, with an average altitude of 4,500 meters, near the northern base camp of Mount Qomolangma. The epicenter was in Tsogo Township, affecting 27 villages and approximately 6,900 people within a 20-km radius. At least 126 people have been confirmed dead, and 188 injured. More than 600 aftershocks have been recorded.
Professor Ma Changqian from the China University of Geosciences said that this high-altitude mountainous terrain, with its valleys, steep slopes and rugged landscapes makes landslides and mudslides more likely, blocking access to the epicenter. And with night time temperatures dropping below freezing, the environment complicates the conditions for the injured and the rescuers. Aerial and ground-based rescue missions could be hindered by unpredictable weather like snowfalls, strong winds and low visibility.
Damaged houses are pictured after an earthquake in Tonglai Village, Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Jan. 7, 2025. /Xinhua
None of them stopped the first batch of 34 mobile shelters arriving in the area at night on the same day the quake struck.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered all-out rescue efforts to save lives and minimize casualties after the disaster hit. Since then, over 10,000 rescuers have been dispatched, with 187 resettlement sites having been set up for the 46,500 relocated people. A second batch of 20,000 items, including quilts, folding beds, 2,000 bunkhouses and 200,000 winter supplies have been allocated by the central authorities.
"There are people in charge of cooking for us," said Migamar, a 57-year-old whose family shares a tent with another one in the Gurum Village; "we had hot food last night." By 8pm on the 7th, the village's streetlights went back on. Tandar, a local power-grid worker, told reporters that the residents could feel more assured as they put in extra work at night after having already worked 17 hours.
Monetary resources have been flowing in from government and private entities. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management allocated 100 million yuan (about $13.9 million) to support disaster relief efforts in Xizang. The National Development and Reform Commission allocated the same amount for post-disaster emergency recovery. The Tencent Charity Foundation donated 20 million yuan ($2.7 million). Mixue announced a 10 million yuan (about $1.4 million) donation. Companies like BYD, Ant Group and Xiaomi have all made similar contributions.
Children raise hands to answer questions during a psychology class given by a social work service center at a resettlement site for quake-affected residents in a village in Dingri County in Xigaze, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Jan. 8, 2025. /Xinhua
A local government worker in Xizang told Sanlian Lifeweek that, in 2015, an earthquake in Nepal also impacted the Dingri County. Many mud houses collapsed. The government provided funding for the reconstructing these mud houses into cement houses. Over the years, as villagers got richer as Xizang developed, some of them began building cement houses on their own.
Most of the remaining mud houses collapsed during the January 7 quake. Most of the injuries and casualties were due to those collapsed houses. The cement houses, while also suffered during the quake, have largely remained standing despite having cracks in them. These houses, in a way, mitigated the severity of this quake.
No one can expect natural disasters happening. But every bit of preparation and progress count when it hits. China is no stranger to natural disasters. In its vast territory, with various elements involved, disaster can strike out of the blue, hurting people unexpectedly. Throughout the years, China has faced down the Yangtze floods in 1998, the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, and has come through as a country united. By putting people at the center of the nation's development and putting people's lives above all else, it is with a common understanding that people are at the heart of the country and thereby powered the nation through each challenge.
It has been like this for a very long time. And it will be what gets the people in Xizang through this crisis to rebuild their lives.
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