Earthquake Of 6.7 Magnitude Hits Northeast India; 5 Dead, 40 Injured

                                     
IMPHAL:  A powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck northeast India and adjoining Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan in the early hours today, killing five people and injuring around 40.

The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 4:35 am, was in Tamenglong district in Manipur, around 30 kilometres west of capital Imphal. It struck at a depth of 57 kilometres (35 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake struck while most residents in Imphal were asleep. Roofs and staircases of some buildings collapsed due to the impact of the quake.

Several buildings had been damaged, including the hospital, police said.

"It was the biggest earthquake we have felt in Imphal," disaster response worker Kanarjit Kangujam told Reuters by telephone from Imphal.
                                        
Tremors were also felt in parts of West Bengal and Odisha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tweet, said that he had spoken to Home Minister Rajnath Singh "who is in Assam, on the situation arising due to the earthquake and asked him to oversee the situation."

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force have been asked to move from Assam's capital Guwahati to areas affected by the quake.
                                       
In Bangladesh and Nepal, people ran from their homes as the earthquake struck. The quake was also felt as far away as the Myanmar capital Yangon, about 1,176 kms (730 miles) to the south, residents said.

Northeast India is considered the sixth major earthquake-prone belt in the world.

"It's a wake up call since earthquakes happen often in region... preparedness is the best solution," Dr Harsh Gupta, a seismologist, told NDTV.