Patna: Residents in most parts of the state were jolted awake at 2.36am on Friday as a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck, originating 10km deep in neighbouring Nepal, according to the National Centre for Seismology. Though the tremors were brief, they caused panic with many rushing out of their homes in fear. Fortunately, no casualties or damage were reported.
Amit Kumar, a civil engineer and resident of Patyna's Gardanibagh locality, said, "I was sleeping when I suddenly felt my bed shaking. By the time I switched on the lights, everything had settled." Abhiram Kumar from Anisabad, who earlier worked in seismology, said, "My entire family felt it. We considered leaving the house but decided to stay when the tremors stopped."
In Motihari, Rakesh Kumar was working late when he felt the tremors. "I rushed out and raised an alarm, but most of my neighbours were asleep. Only a few responded," he said. Shambhu Sikariya, former vice chairman of Motihari Municipality, ran outside with his cellphone, only to find it unresponsive for a while.
The tremors were also felt in West Champaran, Sheohar, Madhubani, Raxaul and Nepal's Terai region. Deepak Agnirath and Jay Prakash from Raxaul said, "It shook us awake and we rushed onto the road. Everything was shaking, but no visible damage so far."

Chandan from Beur narrated a similar experience. "I was on the ground floor when I felt my bed shaking. My relatives in Supaul, closer to Nepal, said the shocks were stronger there," he added.
This is not the first recent tremor and the increasing frequency has left residents anxious. Officials have urged people to remain calm but alert. "Experts are closely monitoring the situation to assess potential risks," an official said. Meanwhile, people were advised to follow safety protocols and stay prepared for any emergency.\
(With inputs from C B Pandey in Motihari and C S Jha Azad in Madhubani)