Bhubaneswar, March 11 (IANS) Hundreds of people spent the night outside their homes in Orissa after reports of an impending earthquake spread, police said Thursday.

The reports started late Wednesday and spread like wildfire, forcing many the residents in Khordha, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur district to flee outdoors, a police official told IANS.

Hundreds of people, including women and children, came out of their apartments and highrise buildings in several places here and in adjoining Cuttack city and returned home early Thursday morning, he said.

'We were woken up from our sleep by our neighbours who said that an earthquake would hit. We came out of our house to find many people roaming around,' said Sujata Mahapatra, a resident here.

The meteorological centre, newspapers and television channels here began receiving calls from people who wanted to verify the reports.

Even though the meteorological department dismissed the reports, people preferred not to take a risk and spent the night with their children and family members on roads and in open fields.