Quake in Sikkim, tremors felt in north Bengal

Siliguri, June 17 (IANS) A mild earthquake, measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale, hit Sikkim at on Sunday night, with tremors also felt in three north Bengal districts, said the met office. No loss of life or property damage was reported from anywhere.

"An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 on Richter scale occurred at 8.37 p.m. in Sikkim, in the depth of 28 km on Sunday," said the regional Meteorological Department office.

Although the earthquake lasted for only a few seconds, it triggered panic among residents of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts, that suffered a major earthquake a couple of years back.

"Some of us who were inside the houses watching football World Cup matches felt slight tremors. People immediately came out on the roads fearing the worst. However, thankfully nothing major have happened," said a resident of Jalpaiguri.