A powerful earthquake jolted Tibet near the Nepalese border on Tuesday (Jan 7), bringing down several buildings and claiming the lives of 95 people, wounding 130 others, reported state media.

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The earthquake hit the Dingri county with a magnitude of 6.8 near the border with Nepal at 9:05 am (0105 GMT), as per the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC). 

However, the US Geological Survey reported the quake to be of 7.1 magnitude.

"A total of 95 people have been confirmed dead and 130 others injured as of 3 pm (0700 GMT) Tuesday, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in the city of Xigaze in Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region at 9:05 am Tuesday," Xinhua news agency said.

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According to Xinhua news agency, "Local authorities are reaching out to various townships in the county to assess the impact of the quake."

Also read: Nepal earthquake: Massive 7.1 quake jolts Lobuche, tremors felt in several parts of India

The earthquake, as per the CENC, was the most powerful to have hit the region in the last five years.

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Areas around Lobuche in Nepal in the high mountains near Everest and Kathmandu were also rattled by the tremors.

"It shook quite strongly here, everyone is awake, but we don't know about any damages yet," said government official Jagat Prasad Bhusal in Nepal's Namche region, which lies nearer to Everest.

"An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter Scale hit 93 km North East of Lobuche, Nepal at 06:35:16 IST today," said USGS Earthquakes.

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), two more quakes hit the region later in the morning.

One earthquake of 4.7 magnitude was recorded at 7:02 am IST with its epicentre at latitude 28.60 degrees North and longitude 87.68 degrees East, at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Another earthquake measuring 4.9 magnitude occurred at 7:07 am IST, with its epicentre at latitude 28.68 degrees North and longitude 87.54 degrees East, at a depth of 30 kilometres.

(With inputs from agencies)