A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Tibet on Thursday, according to seismic data. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 173 kilometres.The most recent earthquake to strike Nepal was on September 8.The earthquake came amid ongoing rescue and recovery operations following floods triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. The disaster swept away homes, roads and bridges, damaged hydropower projects and left thousands missing.Authorities have also raised concerns over the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather, glacier retreat and rising temperatures. Chinese researchers have warned that climate change is accelerating glacier loss across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, potentially increasing the risks of future disasters. The plateau is also the source of several major transboundary rivers, including the Brahmaputra, making environmental changes there a concern for downstream communities.
