An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck central Myanmar on Wednesday. The epicentre was located 190 km southwest of Mandalay city, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre, and strong tremors were felt in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and Assam. There are no reports of casualties yet, but the police said Myanmar's popular Bagan temples were damaged, according to AFP.

Metro services were temporarily shut down in Kolkata, and people evacuated buildings after they felt them shaking. The United States Geological Survey agency said the damage from the earthquake will be "relatively localised", but it warned that buildings in the region were "highly vulnerable" to such disasters.

Earlier on Wednesday, a 6.2-maggnitude earthquake struck central Italy, killing at least 38 people. The quake, which hit near the town of Norcia in the Umbria region, caused severe damage to civilian property and had buried people under the rubble.