Earthquake hits northern India, no immediate reports of damage

By Aditya Kalra

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 hit the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand late on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Tremors were felt across parts of North India, including the Indian capital New Delhi, according to people on the ground.

The Indian Meteorological Department said the earthquake was one of "moderate" intensity. It pegged the magnitude at 5.8 and put the epicentre in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, close to India's border with China and Nepal.

"The quake was quite heavy. It lasted for 25 or 30 seconds, but there are no reports of damage so far received," said Ashok Kumar, a senior police official in the state capital Dehradun.

Amit Negi, the secretary of disaster management in the state said they had alerted all districts and were coordinating with them, but that there were no reports of damage so far.

The quake struck at 10:33 p.m.(1703 GMT), according to the Indian Meteorological Department.

(Additional reporting by Rachit Vats in Bengaluru, Sanjeev Miglani in New Delhi and Euan Rocha in Mumbai; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Alison Williams)