A massive earthquake hit Tibet this morning, causing heavy damage and many casualties. According to the latest report by Chinese authorities, the quake killed nearly 100 people and injured at least 130 more in the frontier areas that climbers usually traverse on the way to Cho Oyu, Shisha Pangma, and the North Side of Everest.
The quake, 6.8 to 7.1 on the Richter scale (depending on the source), struck at 9:05 am China Time, 6:50 am Nepal Time. The epicenter was in Dinggye County, on the Tibetan plateau close to the border with Nepal and just 75km from Everest. Shigatse and Tingri towns suffered severely damage, with over 1,000 houses destroyed according to Chinese media.
Emergency crews patrol destroyed buildings near Shigatse. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
The shock waves also hit mountain areas of Nepal, especially along the Khumbu Valley near Everest. Local authorities have not reported immediate damage or casualties, but we expect further information throughout the day.
People felt the quake as far away as Kathmandu, where hundreds of citizens ran into the streets, their memories of the devastating 2015 earthquake still fresh. Luckily, authorities report no damage.
Kobusch on Everest
This morning, German climber Jost Kobusch was in his 5,700m Camp 1 on Everest. He is engaged in a project to solo the West Ridge in winter.
Kobusch has not yet reported in, but his tracker is working and registers him moving up to the Lho La col, and then retreating. At the time of writing, Kobusch appears to be safely back in his Advanced Base Camp on the Khumbu Glacier.
Kobusch’s tracker shows him approaching his ABC this afternoon, after climbing to the Lho La and back, despite a major earthquake in the area. Graph: InfinityMaps
This is the second major quake Kobusch has experienced on Everest. He was in Base Camp when the 2015 tremor hit. That quake triggered a big avalanche from nearby Pumori that killed 22 people.
Simone Moro, Nima Rinji, and Oswald Pereira are currently in Kathmandu. They felt the tremor but are fine, and are preparing to leave for Manaslu Base Camp tomorrow.
On Manaslu, they will have to wait about a week for the wind to abate, but then they hope to launch a summit push.
