Assam: Amid floods in the state, mild earthquake shakes Guwahati; no casualties reported

In a shocking development, an earthquake was felt in Assam's Guwahati at around 9.48 pm on Sunday. Being an earthquake-prone state, there have been several minor earthquakes in the past. As per reports, tremors were felt both in and around Guwahati. Before this, a moderate intensity earthquake was also felt in Assam's Sonitpur district in the month of January. It is important to note that the North East region falls in the high seismic zone.

Earthquakes in North East India 

In January, two earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 and 3.8 had hit parts of the North East region in a span of 30 minutes, National Center for Seismology had said. The first earthquake of magnitude 3.5 took place at 2.11 am that day and the epicentre was in Cachar district of Assam. The depth of the quake was 35 km. The second tremor of magnitude 3.8 was recorded at 2.39 am with the epicentre in Manipur's Kangpokpi area. The depth was 20 km, the nodal agency of the Centre for monitoring of earthquake had said.

A quake of magnitude 4 on the Richter scale was recorded in Kangpokpi on January 13. Three more jolts hit various parts of Manipur since the beginning of the new year, including two on January 4 in Tamenglong and Chandel areas. Another one was in Kamjong on January 16.

Assam floods kill three

This comes on a day when severe flooding in the state of Assam has affected a total of 24,681 people in 94 villages across six districts. The torrential rains that washed away a portion of a road in the Haflong area in Assam's Dima Hasao district, claimed the lives of three people including a woman. 

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority informed that six districts including Cachar, Dhemaji, Hojai, Karbi Anglong West, Nagaon, and Kamrup (Metro) have been affected by floods. In a recent update, landslides have been reported from 12 villages in the Dima Hasao district and over 80 houses have been severely affected. On Saturday, May 14, the PWD road connecting Hojai and West Karbi Anglong districts submerged under floodwaters in the Hojai district. 

(With Agency Inputs)