3.7 Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Sonitpur, Assam

TEZPUR: Earthquake of magnitude 3.7 on the Richter scale hit Sonitpur in Assam at 6:13 PM today, National Center for Seismology said.

No damage or casualty has been reported so far.

According to NCS, the area is seismically very active falling in the highest Seismic Hazard zone V associated with collisional tectonics where Indian plate subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate.

Further, EQ Parameters: M: 3.7 with a Latitude of 26.74 N, Long: 92.45 E, and Depth of 10 Km.

Earlier, on May 1, in response to the series of earthquakes, detailed damage assessments are continuing with support from agencies like the DDMAs, PWD (Buildings), Fire & Emergency Services, NDRF, SDRF and experts from Assam Engineering College.

Damage assessments have been completed in 18 districts so far. A total of 428 residential houses/apartments, 148 various private and public institutions like schools, anganwadi centres, health centres, government buildings, Naamghars among others are reported to have been damaged. Such reports of damage have been reported from the districts of Baska, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup Metro, Karbi Anglong, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur and Udalguri.

Other infrastructure damage include an embankment in Baska; two bridges in Nagaon; and APDCL infrastructures in Sonitpur, Udalguri and Hojai districts. Rapid visual screening and assessment is underway in Guwahati city.

The screening team is led by Prof. Jayanta Pathak of Assam Engineering College. Such assessments have also been carried out by the team of trained engineers in other districts. The Disaster Management machinery of the State is alert to deal with any eventualities, stated a release.