KABUL: (MEP) At least eight people have lost their lives and nearly 50 others wounded Monday after a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern India.
Officials said the quake was felt in neighboring Bangladesh and Myanmar sending panicked residents fleeing into the streets,
Five were killed in India, the government said, while three people died in Bangladesh after suffering strokes or heart attacks following the early-morning quake.
“Five people are confirmed dead and 47 have been injured. A six-story building in the capital was partially damaged and some small structures have also developed cracks,” said Anurag Gupta, an official with the Indian National Disaster Management Authority.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who is currently in Assam, asking that all steps be taken to provide any necessary relief to those affected.
The Prime Minister’s Office also said that PM Modi is monitoring the situation and that he has already spoken to Chief Ministers Tarun Gogoi and Nabam Tuki.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake took place at 4:35 local time (23:05 GMT) Sunday, about 29 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Imphal, the capital of Manipur State.
An official at one of the main hospitals in Imphal however said more than 50 people had been admitted since the quake with head injuries and limb fractures.
Imphal resident Deepak Shijagurumayum whose house was severely damaged described scenes of chaos after the quake.
“Almost everyone was asleep when it struck and were thrown out of their beds,” Shijagurumayum told AFP by phone from the city.
This comes days after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake, which was also felt across northern India, hit Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region.
