At least six people have died in India and three more were killed in Bangladesh after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit the eastern Indian province of Manipur early Monday morning.
The tremor struck about 18 miles west of the city of Imphal, located near the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, at 4.35 a.m. local time Monday (7:05 p.m. Sunday ET), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Strong tremors could be felt across the region, the BBC said, and India's Meteorological Department reported it hit at a depth of about 10 miles.
Indian Home Ministry spokesman Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia told CNN that 43 people had been injured in addition to the 6 deaths in Manipur and that residential and government buildings had been damaged in Imphal.
Tremors also caused panic across Bangladesh, the BBC reported.
At least three people died in earthquake-related incidents in the country. Two men died of heart attacks in Dhaka and Rajshahi, while another Rajshahi resident died when he rushed out of his home, police said, according to NDTV and The Daily Star.
Close to the epicenter in Imphal, large cracks could be seen in walls, a central market building collapsed, and a bridge was damaged, police said, according to the Associated Press.
Imphal resident Deepak Shijagurumayum told AFP: "Almost everyone was asleep when it struck and were thrown out of their beds. People were crying and praying in the streets and in open spaces. Hundreds remained outdoors for several hours fearing aftershocks."
Shijagurumayum said his house had been severely damaged by the quake.