Agartala/Guwahati, Nov 21 (IANS) The tremors from a moderate earthquake, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale in adjoining Bangladesh, shook several Northeastern states on Friday, officials said.
Disaster Management officials of several Northeastern states confirmed that there were no immediate reports of loss of life or damage to property due to the tremor.
The tremors were also felt in several parts of West Bengal, and panic spread among the people. However, no casualty or damage to property was reported from anywhere in the state at the time the report was filed.
A Disaster Management official in Agartala said the earthquake struck at a depth of around 10 km, with its epicentre located in Madhabdi in Bangladesh’s Narsingdi district. The tremor was felt in Tripura, Assam, Mizoram and Meghalaya, the states sharing a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh.
Bangladesh media, quoting the United States Geological Survey (USGS), reported that the quake was felt in Dhaka and several other parts of the country. Reports of tremors also came from Bangladesh’s Chandpur, Nilphamari, Sitakunda, Sirajganj, Narayanganj, Patuakhali, Bogura, Barishal, and Moulvibazar, a leading daily reported.
As per the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), Friday’s tremor was the fifth earthquake in the Northeastern region this week and the 18th during November so far. Of the 18 quakes, seven were recorded in Assam, followed by five in Arunachal Pradesh, three in Manipur, and one each in Tripura, Meghalaya and Sikkim.
Several of the tremors were felt simultaneously across multiple Northeastern states. On November 2, 6, 11, 12 and 18, quakes shook several states, particularly Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
An analysis of NCS data found that more than one earthquake has struck the Northeastern region every week this month, with most measuring between 3 and 4 on the Richter scale.
Earthquakes are relatively common in the mountainous Northeastern region, comprising eight states, as it falls within one of the world’s six most earthquake-prone zones. Frequent tremors, mostly mild to moderate, in Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have kept authorities worried and continue to push public and private builders to adopt quake-resistant construction practices.
–IANS
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