Firefighters are working around the clock to transfer affected residents and search for survivors near the epicenter of a 6.8-magnitude earthquake which struck Tsogo Township in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning.
Fifty firefighters from Xizang Forest Fire Brigade are searching across rubbles in Yejiang Village of Tsogo Township in an effort to rescue the survivors within the 72 hours since the quake took place.
The town has 76 households and over 90 percent of its buildings were destroyed by the earthquake.
The quake hit Dingri County in the city of Xigaze at 09:05 on Tuesday, with the epicenter located in Tsogo Township of Dingri. The area within 10 kilometers of the epicenter has an average altitude of about 4,446 meters.
As of 19:00 Tuesday a total of 126 people had been confirmed dead and 188 others injured.
Rescue is particularly difficult in a village like Yejiang where houses typically made of earth bricks and wood are especially vulnerable to earthquake due to fragile structure.
Research work in the village are completely conducted manually by firefighters since large vehicles were blocked from entering the village because of the narrow road.
Currently, all of the 230 trapped residents in Yejiang have been transferred to safe locations and more than 100 yaks were also relocated.
A total of 215 firefighters from the Xizang Forest Fire Brigade are currently searching for survivors and erecting tents for local residents across the affected towns.
All-out rescue efforts underway at epicenter following Xizang 6.8-magnitude quake
Officials and exhibitors from Canada on Monday hailed the important role of the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in promoting international trade, saying it serves as a great platform for Canadian authorities and businesses to better understand Chinese consumers and market trends.
Canada is the Guest Country of Honor at the CICPE 2026, or the six CICPE.
The event, held in Haikou City of south China's tropical island province of Hainan from April 13-18, served as a key gateway for around 40 Canadian companies to access China's vast consumer market, with exhibitors showcasing a diverse range of products from premium cosmetics and health products to agriculture and pet food.
RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of western Canada's Alberta province, said the expo helped him to understand the current market trends.
"It's really important for me to see what the market trends are here and to be able to maximize on those market trends. We're here to be able to have those conversations and see how we can be a better trading partner, and how we're going to be able to flow our high quality agricultural commodities into this country," said the minister.
Ji Hualei, a Canadian exhibitor who is launching a new wearable device at the expo, expressed his confidence in China's market potential.
"We have observed a clear shift of Chinese consumers' focus from one specific function of products to healthiness and sustainability. The CICPE provides an excellent platform for showcasing and launching our new products, and I think Hainan's zero-tariff policy will also offering us great resources," said the exhibitor.
Attending an event at the Canada Pavilion, Canada's Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu said more efforts will be made to boost trade and exchanges between his country and China.
"Very important for us to be at the show. As the Chinese consumer market grows, we're exploring more options to get more flights between China and Canada to build more people to people ties, and more tourism between the two countries," said Sidhu.
This year's CICPE is the first national-level consumer expo since the launch of island-wide special customs operation in the Hainan Free Trade Port in December 2025, drawing participation of more than 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions.
Since its launch in 2021, the expo has become an important platform for multinationals to stay abreast of consumer trends in China's vast market, with over 3,800 enterprises and more than 12,000 brands from 92 countries and regions participating over the past five editions.
Canadian officials, exhibitors hail role of Hainan consumer products expo in trade promotion
