Moderate Earthquake Rocks India’s Northeastern States

A moderate earthquake, measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale, rocked the northeastern states on Tuesday, an official said. There were no reports of any casualties or damage.

The tremor was felt at 7.40 AM with the epicentre located in Assam's Karimganj district bordering Bangladesh, an official of the Regional Seismological Centre said.

The seven 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.

The northeast has seen some of the biggest quakes in history. In 1897, a Shillong-epicentred quake measured 8.2 on the Richter scale, while in 1950, an earthquake in Assam measuring 8.7 on the Richter Scale forced the mighty Brahmaputra river to change its course. In September 2011, Sikkim suffered heavy damage after a quake hit the Himalayan state.