Patna: A powerful earthquake struck the Tibet region early on Sunday, sending tremors across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, prompting anxious residents to rush outdoors in the middle of the night. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the quake, which measured 5.7 on the Richter scale, occurred at 2:41am IST, with its epicenter located in the seismically active Tibetan Plateau.
While no casualties or damage to property have been reported in either India or Tibet so far, the tremors were widely felt across northern Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Residents in Patna, Muzaffarpur, and other districts reported experiencing three successive tremors shortly after 2:40am.
EQ of M: 5.7, On: 12/05/2025 02:41:24 IST, Lat: 29.02 N, Long: 87.48 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tibet.
For more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/5gCOtjcVGs @DrJitendraSingh @OfficeOfDrJS @Ravi_MoES @Dr_Mishra1966 @ndmaindia pic.twitter.com/nCeJ434PGR— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) May 11, 2025
Seismologists warn that shallow earthquakes like this one — which occur closer to the Earth’s surface — can be particularly hazardous due to the higher energy release near the ground, increasing the potential for building damage and casualties. Fortunately, the tremors caused no immediate visible damage in affected Indian states.
The Tibetan Plateau, along with Nepal, sits atop one of the world’s most active geological fault lines, where the Indian tectonic plate continuously collides with the Eurasian plate. This volatile collision zone has historically witnessed frequent and sometimes devastating seismic activity.
Officials in Bihar have so far not issued any emergency alerts, but disaster response teams are on standby should aftershocks or reports of damage emerge.
