UPDATE 4 - Powerful earthquake in China’s Tibet region leaves 126 dead

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Diyar Guldogan and Riyaz ul Khaliq

WASHINGTON/ISTANBUL (AA) - The death toll due to a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday that struck China's southern Tibet region climbed to 126, state media reported.

At least 188 others were injured, according to Xinhua news.

It added that rescuers were braving freezing temperatures as they searched through the rubble to look for any survivors.

The earthquake struck the city of Xigaze in the Xizang Autonomous Region, the local name for Tibet, at 9.05 a.m. local time (0105GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Local government officials are reaching out to various townships to assess the impact of the quake, while the Chinese military has dispatched drones to survey the quake’s epicenter.

Videos and images coming out of Tibet show mud-damaged houses due to the quake while rescue personnel were searching for any trapped people.

Separately, the US Geological Survey recorded the magnitude as 7.1.

President Xi Jinping has directed authorities to make "all-out" rescue efforts to search and rescue trapped people.

The People's Liberation Army has readied a disaster relief emergency plan including transport, medical planes, helicopters, and ground forces to assist with relief operations.

The earthquake was also felt in Nepal, Bhutan as well as India with no reports of damage.

*Islamuddin Sajid in Islamabad contributed to this story