Magnitude 5.6 earthquake shakes Bhutan, felt in northeast India

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 shook Bhutan on Sunday, and its tremors were felt across northeastern India. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the seismic event, which occurred at 17:36 GMT. The epicenter was located 15 kilometers west-northwest of Punakha, a town in western Bhutan, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.

The quake, lasting only a few seconds, was strongly felt in the capital, Thimphu, where some residents evacuated buildings due to fear of aftershocks. Local media also reported that the tremor was felt in the Indian states of Assam, West Bengal, and Sikkim. The shallow depth of the earthquake was attributed to the intensity of the shaking.

The USGS issued a green alert on its PAGER system, signaling a low probability of significant damage or casualties. As of now, there has been no official confirmation of local damage, and major Bhutanese media outlets have not reported any victims. Bhutan is situated in a seismically active zone in the Himalayas, a region formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.