Earthquake hits Meghalaya, other northeastern states

Shillong: An earthquake, measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale, rocked Meghalaya and other northeastern states and parts of Bangladesh on Saturday, an official said. There were no immediate reports of any casualty or damage to property.

The tremor was felt at 3.13 p.m. with its epicentre located in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, said a Regional Seismological Centre official here.

Seven of the northeastern states "Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur" are considered by seismologists as the sixth major earthquake-prone belt in the world.

In 1897, the region experienced an earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale that left over 1,600 people dead and inflicted heavy damaged on property.