Greg Toppo

USATODAY

An earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude hit northeast India near its border with Myanmar and Bangladesh early Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed. At least eight people were killed and 100 injured by falling debris in Imphal and elsewhere in Manipur state, police said.

The quake struck at 4:35 a.m. local time (6:05 p.m. ET on Sunday), about 20 miles northwest of Imphal, the capital of Manipur.

Media reports said five people were killed by the earthquake in neighboring Bangladesh, but there was no immediate confirmation from authorities.

Strong tremors were felt across the region, the BBC reported. Witness accounts reported a quake that was unlike anything they had felt before, NBC News reported, with residents awakened by shouting relatives and an intense shaking that lasted from 35 seconds to two minutes.

Bob Swaggerty, who felt the quake in Dimapur, about 125 miles north of Imphal, told USA TODAY that it lasted about 45 seconds. "We felt the Nepal earthquake last year, this was the strongest I have ever felt," he said.

Swaggerty and his family were awakened after feeling and hearing the quake. "I ran out to our balcony where it was shaking so violently I was just waiting for it to come down," he said. "Many screams in the distance."

He added, "My son said he doesn’t want to live in this house anymore."

Nearly 200 miles south of the quake's epicenter, in Siaha, India, one account described a building that sounded as if it was crumbling, NBC reported.

In Imphal, there were initial reports of damage to a popular market, The Associated Press reported. The tremor left large cracks in several walls and a portion of the building collapsed, police said.

India's Meteorological Department said the epicenter of the quake was in Tamenglong region of Manipur state. It struck at a depth of 17 kilometers (about 10 miles) in the India-Myanmar border region. USGS said the depth was 55 kilometers (about 34 miles).

People panicked and rushed out of their homes in Guwahati, the capital of neighboring Assam state, as they felt massive shaking at least twice within 60 seconds, AP reported.

"The ground swayed for almost a minute, jolting people awake in their homes," said one Imphal resident, Apem Arthur. The area is dotted with small houses. There are few tall buildings in the region, she said.

The tremors were also felt in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state.

USGS initially reported a 6.8 magnitude before revising the assessment to 6.7 about an hour later.

Contributing: The Associated Press