'Deeply Saddened': Dalai Lama Reacts To Tibet's Earthquake That Killed Over 90

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, expressed deep sorrow and offered prayers on Tuesday for those affected by a devastating earthquake in China's remote Himalayan region.

File photo of Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Source : Twitter/ANI

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, expressed deep sorrow and offered prayers on Tuesday for those affected by a devastating earthquake in China's remote Himalayan region.

The spiritual leader told NDTV, "I am deeply saddened to learn of the devastating earthquake. It has caused the tragic loss of many lives, numerous injuries, and extensive destruction to homes and property." "I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives and extend my wishes for a swift recovery to all who have been injured."

Over 90 people were killed and 130 others were injured after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Shigatse in Tibet Region on Tuesday morning, Reuters reported quoted local media. 

Today's earthquake was the most powerful recorded within a 200-kilometer radius in the last five years, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Nepal and parts of India, including Delhi-NCR, Bihar and West Bengal.

Meanwhile, in Nepal's Kathmandu, the strong earthquake forced people to run out of their houses. It was felt in Kavrepalanchwok, Sindhupalanchok Dhading and Solukhumbu districts as well.

Dalai Lama Escape From Tibetan's Lhasa

The spiritual leader Dalai Lama escaped the Tibetan capital Lhasa at the age of 23 in fear for his life following Chinese soldiers eviscerated an uprising in 1959, crossing the Himalayas region and taking shelter in India. Afterward, he never returned to his mainland.

Now aged 89, he stepped down as the political leader of Tibet in 2011, handing over secular authority to a democratically elected government representing approximately 130,000 Tibetans worldwide.

The spokesman of that government, Tenzin Lekshay, stated that they were also "deeply saddened by the loss of lives and the extensive destruction of property" caused by the earthquake. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families," he said.

Tibetan Buddhists regard the Dalai Lama as the 14th reincarnation of a spiritual leader chosen through ancient Buddhist traditions, an institution spanning six centuries.