While seven people, including an 11-year-old girl, were killed in Manipur's Imphal West district, one man died in Bihar's Kishanganj district
At least eight people were killed and over 90 injured as a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake epicentred in Manipur on Monday hit the northeastern region and jolted eastern India, damaging buildings and triggering panic.
While seven people, including an 11-year-old girl, were killed in Manipur's Imphal West district, one man died in Bihar's Kishanganj district. Manipur bore the brunt of the temblor which struck at 4.35 AM, where seven persons, including an 11-year-old girl, were killed and at least 50 injured. The quake struck at 4.35am with the epicentre at a depth of 17km in Tamenglong district where many buildings collapsed or developed cracks. But no casaulties reported from Tamenglong.
"The epicentre was near the river Barak, so there was little damage. Though cracks have been reported from many houses, so far there has been no report of any casualty," Additional Deputy Commissioner Joseph Paulin told PTI. All the seven deaths in Manipur were reported from Jiribam area of Imphal West district, state officials said adding the names of the deceased were, however, not immediately available.
At least 70 persons were injured all over the state, army officials said. They have been admitted to RIMS, JNIMS and Shija Hospital, they added.
People were jolted out of their sleep in northeastern and eastern states including, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, and many of them scampered out of their homes. Army and Air Force have mounted relief operations and two teams of National Disaster Response Force were rushed to Imphal while one was being sent to Assam where at least 20 people were injured.
Image courtesy PTI
"Damage to a few buildings, residential units and Government offices have been reported, including damage to a six storey building in Imphal," according to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Power supply to Imphal city was disrupted and some power installations have suffered damage, an official statement said after Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha held a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) this morning. Several building in Imphal, including the market complex, and roads developed cracks while walls of some school buildings gave way, officils said.
Nearly 20 persons were injured in Guwahati and other areas in Assam due to the earthquake, Assam Commissioner and Secretary (Disaster Management) Pramod Kumar Tiwari told PTI.
Officials said at least 30 buildings have developed cracks. The army, IAF and NDRF, the Assam Rifles mounted relief operations in Manipur and Assam, officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is in Assam, and asked him to coordinate relief efforts and oversee the situation arising out of the earthquake. The PM also spoke to Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and other chief ministers in the region to take stock of the situation.
Ibobi Singh said that they were trying to assess the extent of the damage. "The Prime Minister and Home Minister have assured all possible help," he said. "MHA is actively monitoring the situation after the earthquake in the North East region," Rajnath Singh said.
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