AKIPRESS.COM - A strong earthquake struck Myanmar on Wednesday night and was felt in parts of eastern India and Bangladesh, but an official said Thursday that there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or major damage in Myanmar, the media reports say.

The magnitude 6.9 quake struck at a depth of 135 kilometers (84 miles), 396 kilometers (246 miles) north of Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Residents in Myanmar's main city of Yangon panicked after the quake struck, but authorities there said there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

The quake was centered in the jungle and hills 220 kilometers (137 miles) northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city. While the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.

In the Sagaing region just southwest of Mandalay, Sa Willy Frient, the director of the Relief and Resettlement Department, said there were no reports of serious injuries, although nine pagodas had suffered minor damage.

"There are still no death reports," he said.