BEIJING (AP) 鈥 Rescue workers in the freezing, high-altitude Tibet region in western China searched Wednesday for more survivors and victims of a strong earthquake that struck a day earlier near a holy city for Tibetan Buddhists, killing at least 126 people and leveling thousands of houses.
Tents, quilts and other relief items were being delivered to people whose homes were uninhabitable or unsafe. Temperatures fell well below freezing overnight in an area with an average altitude of about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet).
The confirmed death toll stood at 126 with another 188 injured as of Tuesday evening. The earthquake struck the city of Xigaze, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism. It was not immediately known whether he was in his Tashi Lhunpo Monastery at the time of the quake or how much damage the city sustained. The quake's distance from Xigaze, which sprawls across a high altitude plain, was about 25 kilometers (15 miles).
More than 500 aftershocks were recorded after the earthquake, which the U.S. Geological Survey said measured magnitude 7.1. China鈥檚 earthquake center recorded a magnitude of 6.8. The quake was also about 75 kilometers (50 miles) from Mount Everest and the border with Nepal, where the shaking sent people running out of their homes in the capital.
A candlelight vigil was planned in Dharamsala, India, home to the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism鈥檚 highest figure, and a large Tibetan population, on Wednesday night. An announcement on the Dalai Lama鈥檚 website said he would lead a prayer ceremony in memory of the victims on Thursday.
The Dalai Lama is viewed by the Chinese government as bent on making Tibet independent of China.
Asked about the prayer ceremony, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, 鈥淲e are very clear about the separatist nature and political schemes of the Dalai Lama and remain highly vigilant.鈥
Guo expressed confidence that the people in the earthquake zone will be able to rebuild under 鈥渢he strong leadership鈥 of the Communist Party.
The Chinese government and followers of the Dalai Lama have feuded over who should hold the position of Panchen Lama since a boy appointed by the Dalai Lama disappeared in the mid-1990s and a Chinese-backed candidate was approved for the position. The Dalai Lama denounced the move and has refused to recognize the current Panchen Lama.
China's government says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but many Tibetans say they were functionally independent for most of that time. China's People's Liberation Army invaded the territory in 1950 and the Dalai Lama fled to India nine years later during an uprising against Chinese rule, seen as eroding Tibet's unique Buddhist culture.
The dead toll from the quake included at least 22 of the 222 residents of Gurum, the official Xinhua News Agency cited the village's Communist Party chief, Tsering Phuntsog, as saying. The victims included his 74-year-old mother, and several other of his relatives remained buried in the debris.
鈥淓ven young people couldn鈥檛 run out of the houses when the earthquake hit, let alone old people and children,鈥 Tsering Phuntsog said.
More than 3,600 houses collapsed, according to a preliminary survey, and 30,000 residents have been relocated, Xinhua said, citing the city government in Xi, also known by its Tibetan spelling, Shigatse.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has 1,850 rescuers on the ground along with firefighters and others, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Tibet is generally closed to foreign journalists over reports about the ill treatment of the native population by Chinese authorities.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping ordered 鈥渁ll-out rescue efforts to save lives and minimize casualties,鈥 Xinhua reported. Communications in the area have also been restored, allowing smoother delivery of emergency goods, it said.
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Bodeen reported from Taipei, Taiwan.
