The under construction building at Rajabazaar in Patna that reportedly tilted. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna/Darbhanga, Sept. 19: More than the tremors, it was the panic that has taken the toll in Bihar to at least five.

Unofficial reports have pegged the number of dead ‘ at eight.

Most of the deaths were caused due to panic that led people to run helter-skelter.

Nine-year-old Pankaj Kumar of Kahtarwa village in Sheohar district, around 140km north of Patna, was one such victim. Pankaj was attending his tuition classes in a village hut when the tremors were felt. Like other boys in his group, Pankaj too ran out, but instead of going into an open space, he entered another hut.

The roof of the hut collapsed and a metal bucket, which was hanging, hit the boy, leading to his instant death.

Fourteen-year-old Mohammed Hussein of Tarauni village in Darbhanga district died after being trampled in a stampede-like situation after the earthquake struck.

Eight-year-old girl Medha Kumari of Madhopur village in Nalanda district died after a wall collapsed. Sisters Sonawati (18) and Rupawati (16), daughters of one Arjun Sahani of Jiwur village in Samastipur district, died after the ceiling of their hut caved in.

These tragedies apart, three other deaths have been reported from Darbhanga district but are yet to be confirmed as being related to the earthquake.

One Chandra Devi (45) reportedly jumped into one of the tributaries of the river Kosi in a state of panic. Kameshwar Thakur (52) died after slipping when he was running in a state of panic. Samudri Devi (38) is suspected to have died from cardiac arrest after hearing about the earthquake.

Deaths apart, reports of houses being damaged in the tremor have also started reaching the state headquarters.

“We have received reports from Banka that six mud houses were damaged in the earthquake,” an official in the disaster management department said.

The department, however, has still not decided whether an under-construction commercial building in Patna’s Rajabazaar locality actually got tilted in the quake.