Powerful earthquake leaves at least 6 dead, 79 injured in India

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist

January 4,2016; 10:00PM,EST

 

 

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A powerful earthquake shook parts of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar at 4:35 a.m. local time Monday, leaving at least six dead and 79 more injured, India's National Disaster Management Authority said.
People rushed out of their homes before dawn on Monday morning as the tremor knocked over furniture and caused books to fall from their shelves, according to the Associated Press.
The injuries and fatalities were caused by falling debris around Imphal, the capital of India's Manipur state.
Indian soldiers and locals remove debris from a damaged building after an earthquake in Imphal, capital of the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Bullu Raj)
Many buildings were damaged across the region as walls cracked and crumbled as the ground shook.
The epicenter of the quake was in Manipur, 29 km (18 miles) west of Imphal, according to the USGS. Imphal is a city with a population over 220,000.
The earthquake was felt in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan. (Map/USGS)
People in the area should anticipate aftershocks over the next several days, but they will likely be of a lesser magnitude than the one that struck early Monday morning.
Weather will not interfere with cleanup efforts over the course of the next several days.
"Conditions look to be tranquil with high temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s with sunshine," AccuWeather Meteorologist Randy Adkins said.
These smaller earthquakes may cause more damage to structures that were weakened by the 6.7-magnitude earthquake.
Indian soldiers remove debris from a house that collapsed in an earthquake in Imphal, capital of the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. A 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit India's remote northeast region before dawn on Monday. (AP Photo/Worshon Ngashangva)
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There were no earthquakes leading up to Monday's 6.7-magnitude tremors. Sometimes small earthquakes occur in the days leading up to a big earthquake.

Monday morning's earthquake created cracks in some buildings across northeastern India, such as this one. (Photo/Ngangom Jason)

A picture of damage near Sanakeithel, India. (Instagram Photo/andreepheiroijam)