"A reporter learned from the Tibet Autonomous Region earthquake bureau that people have been killed, involving three townships including Changsuo township, Quluo township, and Cuoguo township in Dingri County," Xinhua news agency said.

The quake struck Dingri county with a magnitude of 6.8 near the border with Nepal at 9:05 am (0105 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The US Geological Survey registered the earthquake with a 7.1 magnitude.

Some houses in Dingri collapsed during the earthquake, Xinhua reported, citing a work team stationed in the county.

The news agency said that "local authorities are reaching out to various townships in the county to assess the impact of the quake".

The high-altitude county in the Tibet region is home to around 62,000 people and situated on the Chinese side of Mount Everest.

While earthquakes are common in the region, Tuesday's quake was the most powerful recorded within a 200-kilometre radius in the last five years, the CENC added.