Myanmar jolted by a massive 6.8 magnitude quake

Powerful shocks were felt in Nepal, Bangladesh and eastern states of India

Heavy tremors were felt in West Bengal, parts of Bihar and the North East, after an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the richter scale hit areas on the India-Myanmar border. Even Delhi and Chennai received their share of mild tremors. Even as people rushed out of their homes in panic, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

According to an NDTV report, people blew conch shells on some streets in Kolkata to sound alarm and alert residents of high-rises. Cracks were reported in some Kolkata buildings, while the city's Metro was suspended for a few minutes.

The earthquake, which struck at about 8:25 p.m. local time on Wednesday, was centered in the jungle and hills around 220 kilometers (137 miles) northwest of Mandalay, or about 385 kilometers (239 miles) northwest of the capital Naypyidaw. Accoding to US Geological survey the quake, struck about 134 kilometers (83 miles) below the surface, making it a relatively deep earthquake. While this area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.

The tremors were felt Assam’s Kaziranga National Park as well, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting during their tour to India. In Assam’s capital, Guwahati, cellphone services were disrupted, and there were several reports of homeappliances crashing to the ground. Seven were hospitalised in Imphal, Manipur, after injuries.
 

In Bangladesh, several students of a madrasa in Moghbazar’s Modhubagh were injured while trying to flee out of their six-storey home, Bangladeshi news site bdnews24.com reported. At least four among the 15 brought to Dhaka Community Hospital in the area were in critical condition, doctors said.

India's Himalayan neigbour, Nepal, too received aftershocks from the massive jolting, however there are no reports of damages to life or property yet.