Major earthquake strikes in northeast India

A strong 6.7 magnitude quake struck northeast India near the country’s borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh early on January 4, sending people fleeing into the streets with dozens injured in the panic.

The quake struck while many residents were asleep, and roofs and staircases of some buildings collapsed in the city of about 270,000 people.

The 6.7-magnitude quake on the Richter scale struck in the pre-dawn hours at depths of over 30 miles, injuring over 100 as reports of damages continue to file in.

The states from where tremors have been reported are Assam, Manipur, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.

The NDMA said it is working in close coordination and guidance of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The natural disaster affected southeast Tibet, with the prefectures of Nyingchi, Shannan and Qamdo as well as the regional capital Lhasa reporting “strong tremors”.

Moderate to large earthquakes in the region around the northeast of India, where the subcontinent collides with the Eurasia plate, are fairly common, the U.S.G.S. said in a statement on its website. “We are not allowing anyone to enter the market to prevent any loss of life, the police official said”. Also, as many as 35 people have been injured in Imphal alone. I spoke to Arunachal Pradesh CM Nabam Tuki on the situation arising in the wake of the natural disaster. There are few tall buildings in the region, although a newly constructed six-story building collapsed in Imphal, the police control room said.

India’s northeastern region lies at the northern end of the Indian plate, a major tectonic plate that is in constant friction with the Eurasian plate. The area is dotted with small houses.

India’s seven northeastern states, joined to the remainder of the nation by a slender sliver of land, are situated in an space of frequent seismic exercise.

The quake sent people running from their homes and knocking out power to Imphal near the Myanmar border.