At least 36 people have died as a result of the powerful earthquake that hit the Himalayan region of southwest China's Tibet, according to the online edition of the Nanfang Daily newspaper.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 6,9, CCTV reported. However, the US Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that it was 7,1 degrees.
According to the New China News Agency, there are "dead people in three communities".
"Tremors were particularly felt in and around Dingri canton, and several buildings collapsed near the epicenter," state broadcaster CCTV said.
Dozens of aftershocks have already been recorded, with the strongest measuring 4,4 on the Richter Scale.
The official Xinhua news agency reported that local authorities rushed to various communities to "assess" the effects of the earthquake.
This high-altitude Tibetan canton has about 62.000 inhabitants and is not far from the Chinese sector of Mount Everest.
The earthquake was felt as far as Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, some 400 kilometers away as the crow flies.