Earthquake Magnitude 6.6 Guncang Nepal: Six People Died, Feelless Until India

Illustration of an earthquake. (Unsplash / Jens Aber)

JAKARTA - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck Nepal on Wednesday morning, killing at least six people and destroying several houses in the western district of Doti, close to densely populated cities, with shocks also felt in India.

Five other people were seriously injured when eight houses collapsed, said Bhola Bhatta, deputy police inspector at Doti, confirming the previous figures shared by interior ministry officials Tulsi Rijal.

Narayan Silwal, a spokesman for Nepali soldiers, said the ground rescue team had been deployed to the site and two helicopters were alerted near the cities of Surkhet and Nepalgunj.

Meanwhile, Nepal's Center for Seismology recorded an earthquake measuring magnitude 6.6. Meanwhile, the European-Mediterania Seismological Center (EMSC) estimated an earthquake measuring 5.6 SR.

The quake was centered about 158 km (100 miles) northeast of Pilibhit, the most populous city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, and occurred at a depth of 10 km, EMSC added.

Media reports after the earthquake showed vibrations were also felt in the Indian capital, New Delhi and surrounding areas.

Nepal is still rebuilding after two major earthquakes in 2015 killed nearly 9,000 people.

The earthquake also destroyed centuries-old cities and temples, causing a $6 billion blow to the country's economy.