Earthquake hits northwest Myanmar near India, Bangladesh borders; tremors felt in east Nepal

New Delhi: An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 struck near the border of Myanmar and India on Thursday (April 16), shaking buildings in Myanmar`s Chin state and causing minor damage, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). The tremor was also felt in Chittagong and Dhaka in Bangladesh, media reports said.

The earthquake was epicentred about 40 km east of Falam in Chin and 170 km southeast of Aizawl in India, and focused 10 km below the surface, said the EMSC, adding that there were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties due to the quake.

Shing Mang, a resident of the town of Hakha, about 66 km from Falam, told Reuters over the phone that the tremor shook barrels off the roof of his neighbour`s house and broke some TV screens.

"It was quite powerful," he said, adding "My brother, who was sitting in his home, fell off his bedstead."

According to Nepal's National Seismological Centre, a moderate 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck the eastern part of the Himalayan nation. The quake hit Nepal's Sindhupalchok district, 120 km east of Kathmandu, at 12.55 am. 

The earthquake was also felt in Kathmandu valley, but no damage was reported from the incident so far. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to the property due to the earthquake.

In April 2015, Nepal was hit by a massive earthquake that claimed around 9,000 people.

Meanwhile, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Honduras today, but there were no immediate reports of damage or fatalities, said the US Geological Survey. The quake was recorded around 90 miles (150 kilometers) north of the Honduran coastline shortly after 2 am (0800 GMT).

(With Agency Inputs)