A medium-intensity earthquake shook Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan and north Bangladesh on Monday afternoon and killed atleast 10 persons, including three Indians, in Bhutan. The tremor made people, scared by reports that a major earthquake would hit the region in near future, run out of homes and offices.

Bhutan Broadcasting Corporation confirmed that three Indian workers — Meera Bodo, Rupamani Barman and Mohan Praja — were killed in Samdrupjongkhar. Bodo and Barman are both residents of Baska district while Mohan Praja is from Udalguri district — districts in Assam adjoining Bhutan. Udalguri District Deputy Commissioner S S Minakshisundaram told The Indian Express that his counterpart in Tashigang district on the other side of the Indo-Bhutan border also confirmed the deaths.

The earthquake hit at around 2.23 pm as a sudden jerk, followed by a longer tremor nearly 20 seconds later. Another tremor was felt about 10 minutes later.

The epicentre of the earthquake, located about 8 kms under the ground, was in Bhutan, the Indian Metrological Department said. The US Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale, was about 125 kms north of Guwahati and 180 kms east of Bhutan’s capital Thimphu. A 4.7-intensity earthquake was felt in Uttarakhand and adjoining areas about 50 minutes later.

A series of earthquakes have rocked Assam and adjoining areas in the past two months.