Magnitude 5.9 earthquake jolts Bangladesh, 5 other countries

A powerful tremor measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, and China on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake struck at 5:11 PM local time with its epicenter located in Dhekiajuli, Assam in northeastern India, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. Because of the low depth, strong shaking was felt near the epicenter, the USGS said.

Germany’s Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) also reported the incident, recording the quake at magnitude 5.7, with the same shallow depth of about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Despite the intensity of the tremor, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from any of the affected countries.

Seismologists note that northeastern India and its neighboring regions lie on active fault lines, making them highly vulnerable to frequent seismic activity.