The epicenter, according to US geological survey reports, was located in the West of Xizang, about 250 miles northeast of Pokhara in Nepal.

Director of disaster management division, Namgay Wangchuk, said that the tremors were more severe in the western part of the country unlike the September 21 earthquake, which affected the six eastern dzongkhags. “But we are compiling reports from all dzongkhags on the damages and casualties if there are any,” he said.

Sangay, a Phuentsholing resident, said that she immediately jumped off her bed when she felt the tremor and ran towards the door yesterday. “By then the quake had gone,” she said. “Some of my friends didn’t even feel it.”

Phuentsholing Dungpa Tenzin Thinley said that the tremor was of similar magnitude in the area as that of the September 21 earthquake. “We have received no reports on casualties or structural damages so far,” he said.

A Thimphu resident, Sonam, said that when he felt the tremor, he immediately called his family in Trashigang thinking that the earthquake must have been severe there. “I thought the epicenter must be somewhere there again. We had another earthquake in October which caused further structural damage, I was worried,” he said.

Director Namgay Wangchuk said the tremors were not felt in Trashigang. “The tremor was felt by few people in Mongar. The quake was mostly in western Bhutan this time. But we are still gathering information,” he said.

Apart from the September 21 quake, a 5.2 magnitude tremor was also felt in the east on October 29. The epicenter was confirmed at the Mongar-Trashigang border.

Haa dzongda, Karma Weezer, said that although a strong tremor was felt in Haa, there were no reports of damages as of yesterday.