Powerful earthquake strikes India’s northeast

A strong earthquake hit India's remote northeast region before dawn Monday, killing at least eight people, injuring more than 100 and causing damage to several buildings.

The death and injuries were caused by falling debris. Manipur state's Home Minister G. Gaikhangam said several parts of the state suffered extensive damage. He said the state capital of Imphal was hit hard but did not give any details. Authorities were still assessing the situation, he told reporters.

Three people were killed in Imphal and the other five were killed in other parts of the state, said police officer A.K. Jalajit.

Media reports said five people were killed by the earthquake in neighboring Bangladesh, but there was no immediate official confirmation.

The 6.7-magnitude tremor left large cracks in walls, and a portion of a popular market building collapsed in Imphal. The area is dotted with small houses, with few tall buildings in the region. Police said that one of those few, a newly constructed six-story building in Imphal, collapsed. A bridge also was damaged on the outskirts of the city. 

India's Meteorological Department said the epicenter of the quake was in the Tamenglong region of Manipur. It struck 10 miles below the surface, not far from the border with Myanmar, 20 miles northwest of Imphal. The area is remote, with poor cellphone and Internet connections, and information about conditions outside major cities may take time to emerge. Police officer L. Ragui said that dozens of homes were slightly damaged in Tamenglong.

Shangthon Kamei, a teacher in Tamenglong, said the earthquake rattled buildings. "It lasted for about one minute. We were sleeping and were woken up by the earthquake," he said.

Telephone and electricity connections were disrupted in some areas.

Nearly 90 members of the National Disaster Response Force, a specialized federal force for natural disasters, have left to check on remote areas, police said.

People panicked and rushed out of their homes in Guwahati, the capital of neighboring Assam state, as they felt massive shaking at least twice within 60 seconds.

In Imphal, residents said furniture was knocked over, and books fell off shelves. "The ground swayed for almost a minute, jolting people awake in their homes," said one resident, Apem Arthur.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was in touch with authorities in the northeast. Rescue teams from Guwahati were scrambling to reach Imphal.

People in Bangladesh and the Himalayan nation of Nepal ran from their homes, and the quake was also felt as far away as the Myanmar city of Yangon, about 730 miles to the south, residents said.

Media in Bangladesh reported three people died of heart attacks, and police said at least 90 were injured.

An official at Myanmar's meteorological department in Naypyitaw, the capital, said there were no reports of damage or casualties on the Myanmar side of the border.

Wire services