STORY: All-out rescue efforts made after earthquake hit China's Xizang
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 7-8, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 8, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:01
LOCATION: XIGAZE, China
CATEGORY: OTHERS 

SHOTLIST:
1. various of rescue efforts underway in Dingri County, in the city of Xigaze
2. various of disaster relief items dispatched to residents at quake-hit region
3. various of food being offered to residents in quake-hit region

STORYLINE:

A total of 126 people have been confirmed dead and 188 others injured after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning, toppling thousands of rural houses on the northern slope of the Himalayas.

The earthquake struck at 9:05 a.m. (Beijing Time), with the epicenter located in Tsogo Township, Dingri County, in the city of Xigaze. There are 27 villages and approximately 6,900 people within a 20-km radius of the epicenter.

A preliminary survey shows 3,609 houses have collapsed, said the city government of Xigaze, adding that 407 trapped people have been rescued and over 30,000 affected residents have been relocated.

China's central authorities have dispatched some 22,000 disaster relief items to the quake-hit region, including cotton tents, winter coats, quilts and folding beds, together with special relief materials for high-altitude and frigid areas.

The earthquake emergency response in Xizang has been raised to level I, the highest one, the region's emergency command center announced on Tuesday.

The region has deployed more than 12,000 rescuers, including fire fighters, soldiers, police officers and professional rescuers, to the quake site.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Xigaze, China.
(XHTV)