The death toll from the earthquake in Tibet has reached 126 people, with 188 injured, the Associated Press and Xinhua reported, quoted by BTA.
The powerful 6.8-magnitude quake in a remote and sparsely populated area destroyed hundreds of houses and buried streets in rubble. Many people are believed to be still buried under the collapsed buildings.
The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at 7.1 and said it struck at 9:05 a.m. local time (1:05 GMT) at a depth of about 10 km in the Tingri region of Tibet, located near Mount Everest.
This is the area where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, causing earthquakes with enough force to change the height of some of the world's highest peaks in the Himalayas.
Since the initial earthquake, more than 150 aftershocks have been recorded in the area today, including ten with a magnitude of more than 6, the US Geological Survey reported.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for all efforts to rescue people, minimize damage and quickly rehouse people whose homes have been destroyed. More than 3,000 rescuers have been sent to the disaster-stricken region, China Central Television reported.
About 6,900 people live in three cities and 27 villages located within a radius of 20 km from the epicenter, Chinese television also reported.
Residents in the northeastern regions of Nepal also felt the earthquake, but there are no reports of injuries or damage so far.