Image Caption: A witness to the January 7, 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Tibet describes their escape and the devastation in the affected area to a Dajiyuan reporter. (Photo provided by interviewee to Dajiyuan)
People News - Reports from Tibet indicate that a recent earthquake in Dingri County has caused at least 100 deaths in a single township, raising doubts about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) official figure of 126 deaths. Additionally, the CCP has prohibited monks and rescue personnel from entering the disaster zone, preventing volunteers from directly aiding those in need.
Sources told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that several villages in Changshuo Township, Dingri County, were hit the hardest. The earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 7.1, occurred near the Nepal border in a region under Shigatse Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region. According to RFA, a Tibetan living in India who was able to contact family members in Gurong Village, Changshuo Township, said their community was one of the worst affected. Tibetan sources reported that more than 30 people died in Gurong alone.
On January 10, CCP authorities revised the number of injured to 337, nearly double the previous estimate, but maintained the death toll at 126, based on initial assessments from January 6.
However, Tibetan sources believe the actual number of casualties far exceeds the official report, as Dingri County alone has a population of over 60,000, and neighboring Lazi County, another affected area, is home to an estimated 50,000 people.
The areas most severely impacted by the earthquake include Gurong Village and Qiangga Village in Changshuo Township, Jiding Village in Cuoguo Township, and Quluo Township.
RFA sources stated that the earthquake caused widespread structural damage, including to several historic monasteries, such as Zongbu Monastery in Gadang Village, Sangga Chude Monastery in Sangga Village, and Dewachen Monastery in Changshuo Township.
Skepticism About Official Numbers
A Tibetan resident of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said it is extremely difficult to verify the actual death toll.
"Everyone is skeptical of the official figures, but we cannot know the true numbers," the resident said.
Another Tibetan living in India, who has maintained contact with people in the disaster zone, said travel to nearby villages was restricted after the earthquake.
Despite the restrictions, she was able to contact her family and learned that nine people, including a neighbor, had died in the area.
"The CCP is not allowing Tibetans from nearby areas to go to the disaster zone to offer help because they are worried that details about the earthquake will be widely disseminated," she said.
Tibetan sources reported that many remote villages in the earthquake-affected areas have yet to receive aid, and rescue personnel have not arrived.
Aid Efforts Restricted
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has imposed strict restrictions to prevent people from providing assistance in earthquake-affected areas.
Measures include prohibiting individuals from taking photos or videos and deploying police to monitor aid workers to ensure compliance with these rules.
Tibetans attempting to provide assistance from various regions were intercepted at checkpoints and required to obtain special permits for entry.
Additionally, they were compelled to hand over all relief supplies to authorities for distribution, preventing volunteers from directly assisting those in need.
Since January 9, authorities have tightened controls at Lazi County checkpoints, mandating that all relief materials be delivered to government-designated collection points. This has curtailed the ability of ordinary Tibetans, who were leading donation and relief efforts, to freely distribute aid supplies.
Radio Free Asia (RFA) obtained video footage from sources within Tibet showing large quantities of donated relief supplies for earthquake survivors piled up at the disaster management center in Dingri County.
At the same time, three local residents and a Tibetan in exile told RFA that the CCP authorities in Tibet have prohibited aid workers and Buddhist monks from entering areas recently struck by the earthquake.
The 7.1-magnitude earthquake occurred on January 7 in Dingri County, near the Nepal border. CCP state media reported 126 fatalities, but Tibetan sources claim the actual death toll may be higher, as at least 100 deaths have been reported in Changshuo Township alone.
State media also reported that the disaster left 337 people injured and displaced more than 60,000 individuals.
A resident, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, stated that since January 13, authorities have blocked access to disaster areas under the pretext of "cleanup" and "security work," preventing monks, volunteer rescue workers, and aid personnel from entering.
The restriction on monks entering disaster zones has caused significant distress for survivors. According to Buddhist tradition, prayers and rituals are conducted at the end of each week during the seven weeks following a person’s death.
Tibetans in other regions, as well as those in exile in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, held prayer ceremonies on January 13 to honor the earthquake victims.
Aftershocks
Since the earthquake, CCP authorities have reported over 1,200 aftershocks.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, two strong aftershocks of magnitudes 5.1 and 4.6 occurred on January 13 in Cuoguo Township and Zhaxizong Township, both in Dingri County.
State media on January 13 quoted a Dingri County official as saying, "So far, no casualties have been reported from the recent aftershocks." The official added, "Further investigations are underway."
Information Censorship
Local residents have reported that the Chinese government has deleted photos and videos related to the earthquake’s impact from social media platforms. Another resident stated, “Chinese state media has been focused on propaganda activities, such as making Tibetan children wave Chinese national flags. They also forced affected residents to express gratitude to the Chinese government and displayed pictures of Xi Jinping in the temporary shelters provided.”
On January 12, Penpa Tsering, the democratically elected leader of the Central Tibetan Administration (Tibetan government-in-exile) based in Dharamshala, India, issued a statement urging Beijing to “ensure transparency and accountability in rescue operations and allow unrestricted access to international aid organizations and media delegations immediately.”
Penpa Tsering noted, “The Chinese government’s strict information censorship continues to pose significant challenges to verifying the accuracy of casualty reports and assessing the adequacy of relief efforts.”
He also called on the Chinese government to “provide sufficient assistance for reconstruction efforts, taking into account Tibet’s traditional needs.”
According to Chinese officials, the 7.1-magnitude earthquake caused 126 deaths and destroyed 3,600 homes. However, Tibetans inside the region believe the death toll may exceed 200.
Tibetans remain deeply troubled by the Chinese authorities’ cancellation of search-and-rescue operations, their emphasis on propagandizing government-led relief efforts, and the prohibition against sharing earthquake-related photos or videos on social media.
The earthquake primarily affected Dingri County and the area around Shigatse, near the Nepal border, located in the southern region of the Tibet Autonomous Region under Chinese control.
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