Authorities have moved more than 45,000 people in earthquake-hit Tibet to shelters in a massive rescue operation at the foot of the Himalayas as they wound down the search in a high-altitude environment where the odds of survival were always slim.
The epicentre of Tuesday's 6.8 magnitude quake, one of the Chinese region's strongest tremors in recent years, was in Tingri, a rural county with a population of about 60,000 people about 80km north of Mount Everest.
The temblor shook buildings as far away as Nepal and parts of India, and destroyed more than 3600 houses around Tingri, presenting a formidable task to rescuers in an area where the average elevation is more than 4000 metres.
Forty-eight hours after the quake, experts say those trapped under the rubble are likely to have succumbed to hypothermia, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 18C at night.
An initial tally on Tuesday night showed at least 126 people had been killed and 188 injured, according to Chinese state media. It remained unchanged as of Thursday.
Rescue operations have focused on 27 villages within a 20km radius of Tingri, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. The area is home to 7000 people.
Chinese officials on Wednesday ended the search for survivors, saying the focus was shifting to relocating the displaced and treating the injured after pulling 407 people from the rubble.
Authorities have yet to say how many people remain missing.
The State Council Information Office, which handles queries from the media on behalf of the central government, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Foreign journalists need official permission to enter Tibet, which has been under Chinese rule since a failed uprising in 1959.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, said he was deeply saddened by the quake and would pray for the victims.
He is branded a "separatist" by Beijing.
"Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, people in disaster areas will certainly be able to overcome the catastrophe and rebuild their homes," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"We are well aware of the Dalai Lama's divisive nature and political designs, and we remain on high alert."
Gyaltsen Norbu, the Panchen Lama and second to the Dalai Lama in spiritual authority, chanted prayers with about 900 monks on Wednesday at Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, according to Xinhua.
Norbu, identified by Beijing in 1995 as the 11th Panchen Lama but not recognised by the Dalai Lama, has also made a donation to quake relief efforts, Xinhua reported.
China's post-disaster response has been swift, with 11,000 rescuers deployed to the quake zone within hours of the first tremors. There have been more than 1000 aftershocks.
Zhang Guoping, a vice premier, has led the quake-relief effort visiting the most severely affected areas.
Reconstruction must be accelerated to ensure the displaced can move into safe and warm homes as soon as possible, Xinhua cited Zhang as saying on Wednesday.
About 46,500 people affected by the earthquake have been transferred to 187 resettlement sites in towns surrounding the epicentre in Tingri, state media said.
Rescue personnel have begun erecting prefabricated houses to replace the tents for the displaced, CCTV reported.
