An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 has hit India's western Gujarat state.

A BBC correspondent in the state's commercial capital, Ahmedabad, says tremors were felt shortly before midnight local time (1830 GMT).

People fled their homes, he says. Similar reports came from other cities in the state, including Surat.

The quake's epicentre was in the remote Rann of Kutch area near the border with Pakistan. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Five years ago Gujarat was rocked by an earthquake that left more than 20,000 people dead.

Sparse population

The magnitude of the earthquake was reported by meteorological officials in Delhi and also the US Geological Survey.

The tremor - centred in the sparsely-populated marshy area - was felt across Gujarat, witnesses in several cities said.

"My whole building shook. The floor moved and kitchen utensils shook," a Reuters reporter in Ahmedabad said.

The reporter said the tremor lasted for about a minute.

PHOTO CAPTION

Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

BBC