At least 32 people dead after strong earthquake in China

At least 32 people have died and a further 38 injured after a strong earthquake in China, according to the country’s state media.

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck in a mountainous area in the autonomous Tibet region, near the border with Nepal, shortly after 9.05am on Tuesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said it had recorded a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, centred in the Tibet region.

State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) cited the Ministry of Emergency Management for the number of dead, but did not say what caused their deaths.

The broadcaster said the epicentre was in the Tingri region, around 380 kilometres (240 miles) from Tibet’s capital Lhasa and about 23 kilometres (14 miles) from the region’s second-largest city of Shigatse – also known as Xigaze.

The earthquake was followed by a number of aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 4.4. Tremors were also felt in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, as well as Bhutan and northern India.

Anoj Raj Ghimire, chief district officer of Solukhumbu district in Nepal, said: “We felt a very strong earthquake. So far we have not received any report of injuries or physical loss.”

The earthquake struck in an area where the Indian and Eurasian plates clash, causing uplifts which form the Himalayan mountains.

There have been 10 earthquakes of at least magnitude 6 in the area where Tuesday’s quake hit over the past century, the USGS said.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed some 9,000 people and damaged about 1 million structures in Nepal in 2015.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.