5.3-magnitude quake hits Tibet as region reels from deadly flash floods
A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck Tibet shortly after a previous tremor, adding to regional instability following a deadly flash flood on the Tibet-Nepal border. Experts suggest that climate change, including rising temperatures and glacier melt, is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events in the region.
Why it matters
The combination of seismic activity and climate-induced disasters poses a significant threat to the fragile ecosystem and infrastructure of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck Tibet on Tuesday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said, with the quake occurring at a depth of 35 km (21.75 miles).The earthquake comes days after another tremor struck the region. An earthquake of magnitude 5 was reported in Tibet on last week’s Thursday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).That quake occurred at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), according to the data.The latest earthquake was deeper than the tremor reported five days earlier, based on the respective seismic data.Tibet faces growing scrutiny after deadly flash floodsThe latest earthquake also comes as Tibet remains under scrutiny following a devastating flash flood that struck the Tibet-Nepal border on August 26.The disaster was triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending a massive surge of water and debris downstream through the Bhotekoshi River.
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