7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Kathmandu, epicentre at China

Strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Kathmandu and Tibet, causing panic but no reported damage so far.

A strong earthquake jolted Kathmandu early morning on Tuesday (January 7, 2025). The earthquake measuring 7.1 magnitude on Richter scale was recorded by the National Earthquake Measurement Centre at 6.50 a.m.

The epicentre of the earthquake was Dinggye, China, according to the centre.

The earthquake was felt in neighbouring Kavrepalanchwok and Dhading districts as well. People came out of their houses out of panic in Kathmandu.

However, there are no reports of any damage so far due to the earthquake.

Areas around Lobuche in Nepal in the high mountains near Mount Everest were also rattled by the tremors and a series of aftershocks.

“It shook quite strongly here, everyone is awake, but we don’t know about any damages yet,” said government official Jagat Prasad Bhusal in Nepal’s Namche region, which lies nearer to Everest.

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck near one of Tibet’s holiest cities on Tuesday morning, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said, damaging buildings around Shigatse and sending people running to the streets in neighbouring Nepal and India.