At least 126 people have been killed and thousands of houses damaged in the quake, with tremors felt in neighbouring Nepal's capital, Kathmandu and parts of India.

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 shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 126 people in the autonomous Chinese region of Tibet.