Beijing: Chinese seismologists have recorded 515 aftershocks after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit the Tibet Autonomous Region (also known as the Xizang Autonomous Region) in the country's southwest, the China Earthquake Networks Center said on Wednesday.

"As of 8:00 a.m. [00:00 GMT] on January 8, a total of 515 aftershocks were recorded, including 488 aftershocks measuring below a magnitude of 3.0, 27 aftershocks measuring 3.0 and above, including 24 aftershocks measuring from 3.0 to 3.9 and three measuring from 4.0 to 4.9.

The strongest aftershock measuring 4.4 was recorded at about 18 kilometers [11.2 miles] away from the epicenter of the main quake," the center said in a statement.

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake occurred on Tuesday in Tingri County, Shigatse District of the Tibet Autonomous Region at a depth of 10 kilometers. The death toll from the disaster stood at 126 people, and 188 others sustained injuries, Chinese authorities said.