Updated at 10:00 AM: Fresh tremors of magnitude 3.6 on richter scale in Manipur
Story First Published at 08:00 am: A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit East and Northeast India during the early morning hours today.
The epicentre lies in the Tamelgong district, 30 km away from Imphal in Manipur, and the depth of the quake has been measured as 40 km.
Tremors were felt in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. Strong tremors were also felt in Kolkata and many parts of Jharkhand and Bihar.
The effect of the quake was strongly felt in the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar as well. In Bangladesh, several people were seeing fleeing their homes.
As per initial reports, 1 person has been killed in the quake in Imphal. Also, as many as 35 people have been injured in Imphal alone. As more reports come in, the numbers are likely to rise even more. Many buildings have been badly damaged in various areas of Northeast India.
People residing in the earthquake affected areas rushed out of their homes when strong tremors were felt. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also experienced the quake as he is currently in Guwahati. Northeast India is considered to be the sixth major earthquake prone belt in the world.
(Featured Image via Twitter)