More than 14,000 rescue workers have arrived in Tibet to continue the search for survivors after a powerful earthquake struck a remote area of ​​western China, killing at least 126 people.

More than 400 people have been rescued after the earthquake that struck about 50 miles from the base of Mount Everest destroyed thousands of homes, Chinese state media said.

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing arrived on Wednesday to oversee the operation, which was hampered by temperatures dropping to -16C overnight.

Earthquakes are common in the region, which lies on a major geological fault line, but Tuesday’s was one of China’s deadliest in recent years.

The 7.1-magnitude quake, which struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), was also felt in Nepal and parts of India’s neighboring Tibet, according to US Geological Survey data.

Internet access is restricted in Tibet, which is tightly controlled by Beijing, and reporters cannot travel there without government permission. Much of what we know about the earthquake and its aftermath comes from Chinese state media.

The air force was deployed and drones were sent in as President Xi Jinping called for maximum efforts to minimize casualties and resettle affected residents.

The state-run People’s Daily says more than 30,000 people have been resettled in the region. According to state media, electricity and cellphone services were restored in Tingri province, near the epicenter, by Wednesday morning.

Officials estimate that more than 3,600 buildings have collapsed and thousands have been left homeless.

Video footage published by China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed houses destroyed and buildings collapsed in the holy Tibetan town of Shigatse as rescue workers waded through the rubble and handed out thick blankets to local residents.

Sangji Dangzhi – whose supermarket was damaged by the earthquake – told AFP news agency by telephone that house destruction was widespread.

“The houses here are made of dirt, so when the earthquake came… a lot of houses collapsed,” the 34-year-old said, adding that ambulances took people to hospitals throughout the day.

A resident of a hotel in Shigatse told Chinese media outlet Fengmian News that he was woken up by crashing waves. He said he grabbed his socks and ran out into the street where he saw helicopters circling overhead.

He said he immediately knew it was an earthquake as Tibet has experienced several small earthquakes recently.

More than 40 aftershocks occurred in the first few hours after the earthquake.

Jiang Haikun, a researcher at the China Earthquake Network Center, told CCTV that another earthquake of around 5 on the Richter scale was still possible, but “the probability of a major earthquake is low”.

Sitting at the foot of Mount Everest, which separates Nepal and China, Tingri County is a popular base for climbers preparing to scale the world’s highest peak.

Everest sightseeing tours in the area have been cancelled, a tourism staff member told local media, adding that the area has been closed. Three guests were taken to an outdoor area for safety, they said.

While strong tremors were felt in Nepal, no major damage or loss of life was reported, an official at the National Emergency Operations Center told BBC Newsday – only “minor damage and cracks in houses”.