An earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale jolted Sindhupalchok and nearby districts on Tuesday morning.

According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center, Lainchaur, the mild tremor with its epicentre in Shikharpur of Sindhupalchok was recorded at 6:11am.

The tremor was also felt in Kathmandu Valley. No immediate reports of damage or casualties have been received.

Earthquakes are common in Nepal which is situated on the ridge where the Tibetan and Indian tectonic plates meet and advance two meters closer to one another every century which results in pressure which is released in the form of earthquakes. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks killed around 9,000 people in 2015.

As the government’s post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) report noted, Nepal is the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world.