Chinese state media said at least 126 people had died in the magnitude 7.1 quake near an area of religious significance in Tibet. It was felt in neighboring Nepal.

A strong earthquake killed more than 100 people in Tibet and left many others trapped in the autonomous region of western China, state media say.

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake shook parts of the Chinese province of Qinghai on Wednesday, with its epicentre located near the source of the Yellow River, the main natural waterway serving northern China.