An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar and West Bengal on Wednesday, an India Meteorological Department official said. No casualties have been reported so far here, police said. The quake lasted around 15 to 20 seconds and was felt around 10.20 am.

The magnitude of the quake was recorded at 5.5 on the Richter scale, according to a report of the Central Seismological Observatory in Shillong. Its epicentre was two km north of Kokrajhar town in Assam, at a depth of 10 km, it said.

The tremor was felt in six northern districts of West Bengal as well as the metropolis and its surrounding districts, officials said.

The epicentre was two km northwest of Kokrajhar town in Assam and at a depth of 10 km, it said.

People rushed out of their houses and offices in Guwahati and other areas, officials said, adding that there were no reports of loss of life or damage to property.

An unconfirmed report said a 22-year-old man, Samrat Das, slipped on a staircase and suffered head injuries while rushing out of a multi-storied building in Siliguri in north Bengal, during the quake. He died on his way to a hospital, his mother Usha Das was quoted as saying in the report.

In Bihar, the tremor-hit areas included Patna, Bhagalpur, Araria, Kishanganj, Saharsa, Madhepura, Munger and Begusarai. Panic-stricken residents in Patna rushed out of buildings.

The quake was felt in Dumka, Pakur, Sahibganj and Godda districts of Jharkhand. It was also felt in Shillong and other parts of Meghalaya, but there was no report of any casualty, a police officer said.

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