Earthquake of 5.5 magnitude jolts Nepal, tremors felt in Bihar

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake was felt in an area around Bihar's Katihar, Munger, Madhepura and Begusarai at 7.58 am due to the earthquake in Nepal, National Centre for Seismology said.

Patna:Several places in Bihar were jolted by a magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck Nepal's capital Kathmandu in the early hours of Sunday, the National Centre for Seismology said. As per initial reports, the tremors were felt in Bihar's Katihar, Munger, Madhepura, and Begusarai. There has been no account of any casualty or damage to property due to the quake, officials said.

The earthquake occurred at 7:58 am around 147 km east-southeast of Kathmandu at a depth of 10 km, the National Centre for Seismology added. Director of the Meteorological Center of Patna, Vivek Sinha, said, "the earthquake occurred at 7.58 on Sunday morning. People have felt it in many cities of Bihar. Its center has been in Diktel, three kilometers from Nepal. Its magnitude is 5.5 on the Richter scale. These tremors of the earthquake have been felt in many cities of India, China, and Nepal."

Earthquake tremors were felt in Purnia also around 8.10 am. Local residents said, "at first we thought it was an illusion, but when the things around us started shaking, then it was confirmed that it was an earthquake. People rushed out of their homes." Earlier, Nepal suffered a great tragedy from the earthquake in the year 2015. An earthquake shook Nepal on April 25, 2015, at 11:56 am with a 7.8 magnitude.

The earthquake was so severe that strong earthquake tremors were felt in many states of India. More than 9000 people died and more than 8 million people were affected by this earthquake.