President Lai offers condolences to China over deadly Tibet quake

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday offered condolences to the families of those who died or were injured in a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that killed at least 95 people in a remote region of Tibet near Mount Everest.

On social media platform X, Lai wrote in English that "Our thoughts are with the people of Tibet and the surrounding areas impacted by the devastating earthquake.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the victims' families, and we pray that rescue & aid efforts reach those in need to ensure a swift recovery," he said.

According to foreign wire reports, the destructive earthquake hit Tibet's holy Shigatse city at 9:05 a.m. Tuesday.

The China Earthquake Networks Centre located the epicenter at Tingri county, known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 10 km, Reuters reported.

China's official Xinhua News Agency, meanwhile, reported that as of 3 p.m., 95 deaths and 130 injuries had been reported as a result of the earthquake.

Also on Tuesday, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, expressed its condolences and concern for victims of the temblor.

In a statement, the MAC said it sent the message of condolences to the relevant Chinese authorities through the existing cross-strait communication mechanism.

The MAC said it has also tasked the Taipei-based semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation with ascertaining whether any Taiwan nationals were killed, injured or trapped by the earthquake.