According to initial official reports, at least 126 people were killed, nearly 200 were injured and thousands lost their homes, but given the strength of the earthquake (magnitude 7.1) and the peculiarities of the region, the number of victims could rise.<\/p>\n
Shigatse is one of the most important centres for Tibet, where many buildings are constructed from materials that cannot withstand strong seismic tremors. Night-time temperatures in the region can drop below -10\u00b0C at this time of year, posing an additional threat to human health and life and making both rescue operations and organising temporary accommodation difficult.<\/p>\n
The Tibet Support Group of the Riigikogu calls on<\/strong><\/p>\n The spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has also expressed his profound sadness over this tragic natural disaster and offered his condolences and prayers to the Tibetan people. The Tibetan government-in-exile residing in the hill town of Dharamsala in India has done the same.<\/p>\n The Tibet Support Group of the Riigikogu acknowledges the rescue workers operating in the harsh mountainous conditions and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims. The Support Group will continue to follow the situation and do its utmost to draw attention to the events in Tibet and the need for international cooperation to help the victims.<\/p>\n\n