Strong earthquake shakes parts of Asia, at least 10 dead
 

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From the BNO Newsroom.

THIMPHU, Bhutan (BNO NEWS) – A strong earthquake struck the Kingdom of Bhutan on Monday afternoon and was also felt in parts of India, Tibet and Bangladesh. At least a dozen people were reported killed near the epicenter.

The epicenter of the tremor, which struck at 2.53 p.m. local time (8.53 a.m. UTC), was located in eastern Bhutan, about 115 miles east of Thimphu, the capital of the small South Asian country. Closer, it struck about 80 miles north-northwest of Gauhati in the Indian state of Assam, according to the United States Geological Survey, where people reported feeling a strong jolt. The tremor had a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 and was located about 4.5 miles deep, making it an extremely shallow earthquake. Shallow earthquakes often tend to cause more serious damage.

In Bhutan, at least ten people were killed in the country's east, including a young girl. One person was injured and another remained trapped underneath debris hours after the earthquake. It was not immediately clear if the person was still alive, but the death toll is expected to rise as heavy damage is reported to homes and schools. Meanwhile, the Bhutan Home Ministry is warning people to remain alert for aftershocks, which can be as strong as the initial earthquake.

A tremor was also felt in Lhasa, the capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to Chinese state media. It also said shaking was felt in Bangladesh but added there were no casualties.

There were reports of minor damage in India, but no casualties were reported in either India or Tibet.

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