5.4 magnitude quake jolts Sikkim; tremors felt in Bengal, Bihar

An earthquake of 5.4 magnitude hit Sikkim on Monday night, an official of the National Centre for Seismology said.

Tremors were also felt in parts of West Bengal and Bihar, he said.

The quake occurred at 8.49 pm at a depth of 10 km near the India-Bhutan border.

Tremors were felt in Gangtok and other parts of the Himalayan state, he said.

People got frightened and rushed out of their houses but no loss of life or property has been reported so far in Sikkim, a state government official said.

Tremors were also felt in Darjeeling, Dhupguri (Jalpaiguri), Siliguri, Coochbehar, Raiganj (Uttar Dinajpur) in West Bengal, and Purnia and several other parts of Bihar, the NCS official said.

Asked whether there is any possibility of aftershocks, the official said, "Generally, aftershocks do not occur following any quake below the magnitude of six. So, in this case, there is no possibility of aftershocks."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already spoken to the chief ministers of Bihar, Assam and Sikkim about the situation in their respective states in the aftermath of the earthquake, government sources said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar informed the prime minister that the state's Disaster Management Department and district magistrates concerned have been put on alert, a communication issued by the CMO said.

They have been asked to make a quick assessment of the damage caused by the tremors, if any, and take remedial measures at the earliest, Kumar said.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said that he called up Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and enquired about her well-being as she is in Siliguri.

"Had telephone conversation @MamataOfficial to enquire her well-being as Earthquake Tremors Felt In North Bengal. Hon'ble CM is at Siliguri presently. Relieved to learn all well at her end," he tweeted. P

Quake hits eastern Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh

Tremors were also felt in eastern parts of Nepal, Bhutan and northern Bangladesh.

There were no reports of injuries or casualties in Nepal, My Republica newspaper said.

A large number of people in eastern districts in Nepal had rushed out of their houses as precaution as the strong tremors triggered panic among them, the paper said.

The Bhutanese newspaper said that there are currently conflicting international seismic reports with some saying the epicenter was in Sikkim while others say it was in Bhutan's Samtse.

"The damages will be verified," it said, adding that the earthquake was heavy in Samtse and lasted for around 5 seconds.

So far there are no reports of major damages, the paper tweeted.

The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported that the quake was also felt in Panchagarh in northern Bangladesh and panicked people rushed out of their houses.

Panchagarh Deputy Commissioner Sabina Yasmin said they were yet to receive any report of damage.

The quake reportedly also affected parts of China.