A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet’s holiest cities on Tuesday, killing at least 126 people and flattening hundreds of houses and causing tremors felt in Nepal,

HONG KONG — A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck near one of Tibet ’s holiest cities Tuesday, killing at least 53 people, Chinese state media reported. The earthquake, which was recorded just after 9 a.m. (8 p.m. ET Monday), was centered at a depth of nearly 6 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A devastating earthquake in China's remote Tibet region killed at least 126 people and damaged thousands of buildings on Tuesday, state media reported, with tremors also felt in neighbouring Nepal's capital Kathmandu and parts of India. Videos published by China's state broadcaster CCTV showed houses destroyed with walls torn apart.