Kathmandu, 7 January 2025: A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Nepal's border with Tibet early Tuesday, sending tremors through parts of northern India, including Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Delhi-NCR.
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed the quake at 6:35 a.m. (IST), pinpointing its epicentre in the Tibet Autonomous Region (latitude 28.86°N, longitude 87.51°E) at a depth of 10 kilometres. In an online post, NCS noted, "EQ of M: 7.1, On: 07/01/2025 06:35:18 IST, Lat: 28.86 N, Long: 87.51 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Xizang.”
Two smaller aftershocks soon followed. A 4.7 magnitude quake was recorded at 7:02 a.m. (latitude 28.60°N, longitude 87.68°E), and a 4.9 magnitude tremor hit at 7:07 a.m. (latitude 28.68°N, longitude 87.54°E). Both originated within 10-30 kilometres of the initial epicentre.
The tremors caused panic in Bihar, with residents rushing out of buildings, though no casualties or structural damage have been reported.
Nepal, which sits at the juncture of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, frequently experiences seismic activity due to the Himalayan region's tectonic pressure. “Earthquakes of this scale remind us of the inherent risks in this region,” said a seismologist with the NCS.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) located the quake 93 kilometres northeast of Lobuche, near the Nepal-Tibet border. Lobuche, situated near the Khumbu Glacier and close to Everest Base Camp, lies roughly 150 kilometres east of Kathmandu.