Rescue teams are searching for survivors in Tibet after a powerful 7.1 magnitude quake hit the region.
It killed at least 95 people, and many more were injured, according to Chinese state media.
The earthquake that hit Tibet's holy Shigatse city around 09:00 local time (01:00 GMT) had a magnitude of 7.1 and a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), according to data from the US Geological Survey, which also showed a series of aftershocks in the area.
Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Nepal and parts of India
Earthquakes are common in the region, which lies on a major geological fault line, but Tuesday's was one of the deadliest China has experienced in recent years.
Videos published by China's state broadcaster CCTV showed destroyed houses and collapsed buildings, with rescue workers wading through debris and handing out thick blankets to locals.
The footage also shows survivors receiving medical treatment.
Temperatures in Tingri county, near the earthquake's epicentre in the northern foothills of the Himalayas, are around -8C (17.6F), and will drop to -18C by evening, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
Both power and water in the region have been disrupted. There were more than 40 aftershocks in the first few hours following the quake.
Shigatse is considered one of the holiest cities of Tibet, which was annexed by China in the 1950s and has been under tight control ever since, including media and internet access.
Chinese state media reported the earthquake as having a slightly lesser magnitude of 6.8, causing "obvious" tremors and leading to the damage of more than 1,000 houses.
Jiang Haikun, a researcher at the China Earthquake Networks Center, told CCTV that while another earthquake of around magnitude 5 may still occur, "the likelihood of a larger earthquake is low".
A hotel resident in Shigatse told Chinese media outlet Fengmian News that he was jolted awake by a wave of shaking. He said he grabbed his socks and rushed out onto the street, where he saw helicopters circling above.
"It felt like even the bed was being lifted," he said, adding that he immediately knew it was an earthquake because Tibet recently experienced multiple smaller quakes.
Sitting at the foot of Mount Everest, which separates Nepal and China, Tingri county is a popular base for climbers preparing to ascend the world's tallest peak.
Everest sightseeing tours in Tingri, originally scheduled for Tuesday morning, have been cancelled, a tourism staff member told local media, adding that the sightseeing area had been fully closed.
There were three visitors in the sightseeing area who had all been moved to an outdoor area for safety, they said.
Shigatse region, home to 800,000 people, is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, a key figure of Tibetan Buddhism whose spiritual authority is second only to the Dalai Lama.
The exiled spiritual leader said he had been deeply saddened by news of the quake.
"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," the Dalai Lama said in a statement.
The current Dalai Lama fled Tibet to India in 1959 and has since been seen as an alternative source of power for Tibetans who resent Beijing's control of the region. Many believe China will also choose its own Dalai Lama when the current one dies.
Tibetan Gedhun Choekyi Niyima who was identified as the reincarnated Panchen Lama was disappeared by China when he was six years old. China then chose its own Panchen Lama.
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