10 Dead, 120 Injured As 6.7 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Northeastern India
On Monday, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake reportedly hits Manipur at northeastern India, leaving 10 people dead and 120 injured.
According to The Wall Street Journal on Monday, Maj. Gen. Anurag Gupta of the National Disaster Management Authority confirmed the collapse of a six-story building, which was under construction at Manipur's capital city, Imphal.
Other establishments, including residential and retail structures in the surrounding villages, were also destroyed by the earthquake.
"Almost everyone was asleep when it struck and were thrown out of their beds," recalled one resident of Imphal. "People were crying and praying in the streets and in open spaces. Hundreds remained outdoors for several hours fearing aftershocks."
The Meteorological Department of India noted the earthquake hitting the area at 4:35 a.m. at "moderate intensity," while the U.S. Geological Survey added that the earthquake struck 18 miles west of Imphal, with a depth of 34 miles.
Dhaka Superintendent of Police Farukh Hossain also noted that the tremors reached Bangladesh, where over 30 people were injured as they rushed out of their buildings in panic and one person reportedly died due to heart attack, reported CNN News on Monday.
No casualties were reported on the neighboring Myanmar, which has a low population count.
Rescue teams from various agencies were sent immediately to Imphal to provide relief and rescue operations, while injured individuals were sent to the local hospitals to be treated.
Power facilities were greatly affected during the quake, interrupting the power supply to Imphal. Fortunately, telecommunication systems were reportedly returned to normal in the area.
BBC News noted on Monday that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, tweeted after the incident announcing that he and the chief ministers of the region, together with federal Home Minister Rajnath Singh, have already spoken "on the situation arising in the wake of the earthquake."
The affected region has experienced a number of powerful earthquakes attributed to the northward smashing of the Eurasian and Indian plates, moving towards one another at four to five centimeter annually.
