A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit western China near the border with Nepal on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The quake struck shortly after 9 a.m. at a depth of 6.2 miles in Dingri County in the Tibet region of China, Chinese state media reported. The state-run news agency Xinhua said there had been deaths in at least three townships.

Several aftershocks were felt in the area, including in Nepal.

The earthquake’s epicenter was recorded in Shigatse City, the second-largest city in Tibet.

The Himalayan region is prone to powerful earthquakes. In 2015, a quake in Nepal with a magnitude of 7.8 killed nearly 9,000 people.

This is a developing story.

Berry Wang contributed research.