Mild tremors rock Bihar towns

A mild earthquake was felt in many parts of Bihar on Wednesday, causing widespread panic among the people but no damage to property or loss of life, officials said.

People rushed out of their houses, shops and offices, but "No damage or loss of life has been reported. No damages to houses has been reported either," an official of the state disaster management department said.

The Patna meteorological department officials said the epicentre of the earthquake, measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, was in Myanmar.

According to officials of the state disaster management department, the tremor was felt in Patna, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Purnea, Kishanganj, Madhubani, Jehanabad and Aurangabad, Raxaul, Motihari.

In Patna, hundreds of people rushed out of their houses and gathered in open spaces.

Last year, a massive earthquake jolted many parts of Bihar in which 19 people were killed. The epicentre of that earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale was in Nepal.

--IANS

ik/pgh/vt