7 magnitude quake hits India’s northeast, leaves 4 dead

The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at 4:35 am (2305 GMT Sunday) 29 kilometres (18 miles) west-northwest of the Indian city of Imphal.

Close to the epicenter in Imphal, large cracks could be seen in walls, a central market building collapsed, and a bridge was damaged, police said, according to the Associated Press.

Reuters reports that so far 9 have been reported as killed by the quake and 200 injured.

An quake of moderate intensity rocked India’s north-eastern states and adjoining Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan on Monday morning, the regional seismological centre in Meghalaya said. In neighbouring Bangladesh, there people were reported dead while dozens of others were treated in hospital. Have you been affected by what has been happening?

He added that there was some damage to residential and government buildings in Imphal.

An official at Burma’s meteorological department in Naypyidaw, the capital, said there were no reports of damage or casualties on the Burmese side of the border.

L. M. Khaute, the Manipur state police chief, says at least eight people were killed and more than 100 injured by falling debris when the 6.7 magnitude natural disaster struck the state.

Kiren Rijiju, union minister of state for home affairs, visited areas in Manipur that were affected by Monday’s natural disaster.

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, said he was in touch with authorities in the northeast.

Though powerful tremors were felt across the region, Manipur suffered the maximum damage in terms of human lives and property.

The rescue operation is being hampered by severed power supplies and telecommunication links across the city, which is home to 270,000 people.

Measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, the natural disaster had its epicentre at Tamenglong district, bordering Assam, in Manipur.

The tremors were felt as far away as Kolkata some 600km distant in the Indian state of West Bengal, where buildings shook.