NEW DELHI, Jan 5 – At least three people have been killed and 30 others injured as authorities expect more casualties in a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck northeastern India near its border with Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan early Monday. The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 4.35am (7.05am in Malaysia), is 29km west of Imphal, Manipur, said the Indian Meteorological Department, adding that it had struck 17km deep.
The Indian National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed and local authorities reported that tremors were felt in parts of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Tripura. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, in a statement, stated that Modi had instructed Home Minister Rajnath Singh to provide all the necessary relief to the affected people.
The statement also said that Modi had been in touch with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki. Police and disaster response teams in Imphal reported that portions of walls, staircases and roofs in some buildings have collapsed. Several buildings, including a hospital, have been damaged, police said.
