- By Akansha Pandey
- Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:06 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A series of significant earthquakes struck the Himalayan belt on Saturday evening, triggering widespread alarm and sending residents rushing out of their homes in panic. As the tremors rattled buildings across Nepal and Northeast India, many people fled into open spaces, fearing aftershocks. The seismic activity, occurring within minutes of each other, was felt across multiple international borders.
Earthquake In Nepal
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Ilam district in eastern Nepal's Koshi province at 6:50 pm. According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre (NEMRC), the epicenter was located in the Nayabazar area, approximately 450 km east of Kathmandu. Residents in the neighboring districts of Panchthar, Tehrathum and Taplejung also reported feeling the shaking. As Nepal is located in a highly active tectonic zone (Seismic Zones IV and V), it remains extremely vulnerable to such seismic activity.
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Sikkim Also Felt The Tremors
Just minutes before the Nepal quake, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Sikkim at 6:35 pm. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) identified the epicenter 11 km from Maneybung in West Sikkim. Tremors were felt in the capital, Gangtok and other areas across the state. In addition to the local impact, the IMD noted that these tremors were also felt in parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and China.
Officials from both the Sikkim Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and Nepal have confirmed that there are no immediate reports of injuries or significant destruction of property.