Strong quake kills at least 8 in India’s remote northeast

The Dhaka Tribune said thousands of people rushed into the streets of the Bangladeshi capital when the strong tremors struck early Monday morning.

A local resident standing beside damaged buildings in Imphal today.

One person was killed and an officer was shot in the ankle after police were fired on as they tried to serve an arrest warrant late Sunday at a North Carolina home, authorities said. Army units in Manipur have already started providing all necessary medical assistance to the injured, officials said. An official of the Natural Disaster Management Authority has reported 33 wounded. Of the three, one had an injury to the nose, one to the head and the third suffered trauma.

A man grimaces in pain after he was injured in the quake.

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who chaired an emergency cabinet meet, said the government has taken all steps to deal with the disaster.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Mr. Modi was continuously monitoring the situation. “Three-member health ministry team to reach Manipur by tomorrow to assess ground level situation”, he tweeted.

The National Crisis Management Committee met following the quake and was coordinating rescue efforts, the home affairs ministry said.

“Reports received so far suggest that 200 houses were damaged completely while 600 others were damaged partially”.

Shangthon Kamei, a teacher in Tamenglong, said the quake rattled buildings.

“The Prime Minister called me up around 6am and asked me to take stock of the situation”.

People ran out of their homes looking for safe places in Mizoram capital Aizwal and the quake was also felt in other parts of the state.

Home Ministry spokesman Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia told CNN there was some damage to residential and government buildings in Imphal.

Residents of Imphal said people fled their homes and power and telecoms links were down in the remote region.

The area is dotted with small houses and there are few tall buildings in the region, although a newly-built six-floor building collapsed in Imphal.

Several buildings in Manipur secretariat and the landmark Ima market in Imphal developed cracks while some school structures collapsed.

NDMA officials have spoken to the Control Rooms and Relief Commisioners of all the States in the North-East and West Bengal. The border region is remote and sparsely populated on the Myanmar side.