Bhubaneswar, Dec. 26: The quake that had its epicentre in Sumatra today shook several coastal districts of Orissa, including capital Bhubaneswar, around 6.30 am.

Tremors were also felt in the districts of Jajpur, Balasore, Kendrapara, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Talcher and Raygada. No loss of life was reported in the state.

The Met office in Bhubaneswar said the impact of the quake was felt at 6.33 am. The tremor lasted for about 30 second and measured between 2 and 3 on the Richter scale, according to the director of the Met office, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.

Panic gripped residents in the city, who rushed out of their houses as doors and windows rattled. Several apartments in Bhubaneswar developed cracks.

Dhamra in Bhadrak district and Gopalpur in Ganjam district witnessed tsunamis as high as 4-6 metres between 8.30 am and 11 am.

Officials said a young boy ? part of a picnic party from Berhampur ? was washed away into the sea at Gopalpur but was rescued by fishermen. Many boats and nets have been washed away near Gopalpur.

The sea level was also reported to have risen at Paradeep port.

This is the first time that Bhubaneswar has witnessed such an earthquake.

What Orissa experienced was the result of a ripple effect, Mohapatra said, as the place of origin was about 2,100 km southeast of the state.

?It felt as if the whole building shook,? said 80-year-old Tarapada Banerjee, who lives on Ratha Road. He said all the residents of the apartment block rushed downstairs.

Puri untouched

The aftershocks did not affect Puri, where 90 per cent of the tourists are from Bengal.

?I did not feel a thing. Nothing has happened here,? said Partha Ray Chowdhury, who had checked into Puri Hotel yesterday and planned to go around the town this evening.

?Was there an earthquake?? asked Kalyan Chakraborty, manager of Rani Hotel.