Today Direct Relief is reaching out to its partners in Tibet and China to assess needs following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck yesterday. According to news reports, at least 400 people are feared dead and that number is expected to rise; while search-and-rescue efforts are underway to find survivors. Initial estimates number the injured in the tens of thousands.

The epicenter was in Yushu in the mountainous Qinghai Province, about 150 miles northwest of Qamdo, Tibet, CNN reports. Partners in Tibet that receive medical material support include One H.E.A.R.T., a maternal-and-child health organization based in Tibet, and the Amitabha Foundation, a group that focuses on maternal, child, and general health for Tibet’s nomadic population. Direct Relief responded to the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China.

Direct Relief’s thoughts are with the people of China who have been affected by the earthquake. The organization will continue to monitor the situation with partners on the ground there.