Death toll in Xizang quake rises to 95 as rescue work continues

At least 95 people are confirmed to have died while 130 others have been injured after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning.

Rescue efforts are ongoing after the quake jolted Dingri County of Xigaze City at 09:05 on Tuesday, with the epicenter located in the Tsogo Township.

Liu Huazhong, the deputy mayor of Xigaze, gave the latest update on casualty numbers and detailed the emergency response work at a press briefing, confirming that 95 people had lost their lives as of 15:00 local time.

In response to the disaster, Liu said Xigaze authorities have activated a level-I emergency response, the highest level, and swiftly deployed over 3,400 rescuers, including firefighters, armed police officers, and military personnel, along with more than 150 vehicles and other rescue equipment, to aid in the search and rescue operations in the affected areas.

Additionally, over 340 medical workers have been sent to the quake zone to treat the injured and assist those who may be trapped, he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered all-out rescue efforts to save lives and treat the injured, while urging steps to prevent possible secondary disasters, properly resettle the affected residents, and handle the aftermath work effectively.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang also urged efforts to swiftly check the disaster situation and said that since the quake-stricken area is located in a cold plateau region, every possible means should be employed to ensure the basic livelihood of the affected people and help them stay warm during the winter.

"We will spare no efforts to conduct thorough searches for trapped people, provide medical care for the injured, offer essential relief support, and ensure the basic needs of affected residents, as well as do a good job in the aftermath work," said Liu.

Death toll in Xizang quake rises to 95 as rescue work continues

Death toll in Xizang quake rises to 95 as rescue work continues

Death toll in Xizang quake rises to 95 as rescue work continues

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced on Thursday that it would slash key interest rates by 25 basis points in a bid to wind down the restrictive monetary policy.

Effective from March 12, the interest rates on the deposit facility, the main refinancing operations and the marginal lending facility will be decreased to 2.50 percent, 2.65 percent and 2.90 percent respectively, said the central bank in a statement.

The disinflation process is well on track, with headline inflation averaging 2.3 percent in 2025, 1.9 percent in 2026 and 2.0 percent in 2027, the ECB said.

The decision to keep on cutting rates came at a time when the economy in the eurozone is facing increasing uncertainties.

In its latest edition of the staff projections on Thursday, the ECB lowered its forecast for economic growth in the eurozone to 0.9 percent for 2025, 1.2 percent for 2026 and 1.3 percent for 2027.

This marks a downward revision from the ECB's forecast in December last year, which had projected 1.1 percent growth in 2025 and 1.4 percent in 2026, while the 2027 outlook remains unchanged.

The ECB attributed the weaker growth outlook for 2025 and 2026 to declining exports and sluggish investment, citing high trade policy uncertainty and broader economic instability as key factors.

ECB cuts interest rates by 25 basis points