An earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude has hit northeast India, near its border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has said.

The quake hit at 04:35 local time (23:05 GMT Sunday) about 29km (18 miles) northwest of Imphal, the capital of Manipur state, according to USGS.

Strong tremors have been felt across the region.

Our reporter in Dhaka says many people were seen fleeing their homes in Bangladesh.

USGS issued a yellow alert for casualties and damage, with a 35% likelihood of between one and 10 deaths from the tremor.

The earthquake was originally reported to have measured 6.8 magnitude.

The region has a history of powerful earthquakes caused by the northward collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. They are moving towards each other at a rate of 4-5cm per year.

In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 quake in Pakistan-administered Kashmir left more than 75,000 people dead.

In April 2015, Nepal suffered its worst earthquake on record with 9,000 people killed and about 900,000 homes damaged or destroyed.

BJP’s Delhi unit president Satish Upadhyay on Monday accused the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress of doing “dirty politics” over the demolition of a slum in the city.

“They have no concern for the betterment of the lives of slum dwellers. All the concern being shown is a part of vote bank politics,” Upadhyay told reporters here.

He said slum dwellers very well understood that both Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were “just playing with their emotions”.

“The tears being shed by Rahul Gandhi reflect political opportunism,” the BJP leader said, adding that both parties should stop playing politics and work to provide a better life to slum dwellers.

More than 500 hutments were demolished by Indian Railways authorities in Shakur Basti in west Delhi on Saturday, leaving hundreds homeless in the winter chill. An infant allegedly died during the drive.

Upadhyay said over 2,000 shanties existed on the railway land in Shakur Basti, of which almost 1,600 were demolished during the Congress rule in 2011-12 without payment of any compensation.

He said over 7,000 flats meant for slum dwellers at Narela and around 40,000 flats with the Delhi government were lying vacant for the last five years.

“If Kejriwal is true to the cause of slum dwellers at Shakur Basti, he should allocate those flats to them,” Upadhyay added.