4.5-magnitude earthquake jolts Western Nepal

Kathmandu: A 4.5-magnitude earthquake jolted western Nepal in the early hours of Wednesday with its epicentre located at Bajhang district East, officials said.

According to Nepal's National Seismological Centre, an earthquake measuring 4.5 magnitude on the Richter scale was recorded at 4.06 am at Bajhang district East, located 450 km West of Kathmandu.

The earthquake was also felt in the surrounding districts of Bajhang in western Nepal.

There was no immediate report of any casualty or damage to property, authorities said.

Earthquakes are a frequent occurrence in mountainous Nepal. In April, two moderate-intensity earthquakes recorded as 5.2 and 4.1 on the Richter scale hit the Himalayan nation.

In April 2015, a devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes rocked Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and wounding about 22,000 others. It also damaged over 800,000 houses and school buildings.