A magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked the northern foothills of the Himalayas near one of Tibet’s holiest cities, killing at least 32 people and shaking buildings in neighbouring Nepal, Bhutan and India.

The quake hit on Tuesday morning, with its epicentre located in Tingri, a rural county known as the northern gateway to the Everest region, at a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre.

The impact of the quake was felt across the region of 800,000 people, which is administered by Shigatse, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism.

Villages in Tingri reported strong shaking during the quake, which was followed by numerous aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 4.4.

Crumbled shop fronts could be seen in a video on social media showing the aftermath from the nearby town of Lhatse, Reuters reported.