An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 on the Richter Scale hit Myanmar on Wednesday afternoon with tremors felt across Thailand, Bangladesh and east India.
The earthquake, which struck just after 5 p.m. local time in Myanmar, was centered about 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of the town of Chauk in central Myanmar, or 58 kilometers (36 miles) northwest of the city of Yenangyaung.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) put the preliminary magnitude of the earthquake at 6.8 and said it struck at a depth of about 84.1 kilometers (52 miles).
The earthquake was felt widely across the region, with reports of shaking coming in from as far away as Bangladesh, eastern India, Thailand, Laos, and China. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties outside of Myanmar.
Reports of strong tremors have been felt across West Bengal and Assam. There are no reports of casualties yet.
According to National Centre for Seismology, a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences, the epicenter of the quake was in Myanmar and it occurred at 4:04 PM at a depth of 58 kms.
People panicked and fled out of buildings in Kolkata, Patna and Guwahati. Metro services have been temporarily suspended in Kolkata after earthquake tremors were felt in the region.
In fact, over the past week, there have been a spate of smaller earthquakes across the north east. The northeast is one of the most earthquake prone regions in the world.
“Tremors were felt in Darjeeling and Siliguri in North Bengal, but there is nor report of casualty so far,” said District Magistrate of Darjeeling Anurag Shrivastava. He said the intensity of quake was low and he doesn’t expect any loss to property or life.
-Agencies
