TIBET, CHINA – Two earthquakes killed at least 30 people and damaged buildings in the Tibetan county of Damxung on Monday evening.
According to Chinese media, the epicenter of the first earthquake was 84 kilometers (50 miles) west of the Tibetan capital Lhasa. Measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, it struck at 4.30 pm in a sparsely populated area.
The second, a 5.4 after-shock, happened about 15 minutes later and 16 km (10 miles) away.
Government officials told local media that the majority of the buildings in Damxung county have fallen, with more people still trapped under the debris. The county has a population of 42,000.
There are deaths reported in a nearby county, but an exact number cannot be ascertained yet.
"Some people were injured and houses collapsed in the epicenter near Ningzhong Town. We are trying to get the exact figure," said Zhu Quan, the Regional Seismological Department director.
Local media also reported that soldiers and medical teams were on the way to the area, where roads and communications have been cut off.