An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter Scale, rocked mainland Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle region, from its epicentre in an little populated area of Laos, sending tremblors across Thailand’s northern provinces , according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake was felt as far away as the Thai capital of Bangkok. There were no initial reports of damage or casualties.

The earthquake, felt in this northern province for about one minute, made Chiang Mai residents and tourists rush from high buildings, hotels, and department stores, and brought a similar reaction in the Thai capital.

The quake shook high-rise buildings in Bangkok, and many offices evacuated their staff and customers to the streets.

The centre of the quake, which occurred at 3:56 pm in Laos, was nearly 100 miles northwest of the old Lao royal capital of Luang Prabang, now a popular tourist destination, and about 170 miles northeast of the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai.

In Thailand, the earthquake was measured at 5.7 magnitudes on the Richter Scale by the Hydrographic Department.

Damage was reported in Thailand’s Chiang Rai, where the top of the historic Chomkitti chedi, containing the sacred relics of the Lord Buddha, collapsed, but no one was injured.

Prachon Prasakul of the provincial Disaster Mitigation and Prevention Centre said there w as no reported damage in Chiang Mai.

Source: MCOT(ETNA)