Mild tremors reported in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha

Pathanamthitta/Alappuzha: Panic gripped regions along Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts on Wednesday after people claimed that they felt tremors.

Mild tremors were reportedly felt at Pathinalam mile and Pazhakulam in Pathanamthitta; and at Nooranad and Palamel panchayats and certain regions of Charumoodu, Kurambala Theku in Alappuzha district.

Local people said they felt tremors followed by a loud noise around 10.30 am. They ran out of their homes in panic. Cracks were also found on some of the houses.

However, authorities said that low-intensity tremors (less than 3-magnitude) will not be recorded on the Richter scale. Authorities have urged public to stay calm.

Earthquake rattles parts of India

Meanwhile, an earthquake of magnitude 5.5 rocked Assam and hit parts of Meghalaya, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal Wednesday.

The quake that struck around 10.20 am lasted for 15 to 20 seconds.

The magnitude of the quake was recorded as 5.5, a report by the Central Seismological Observatory in Shillong said.

The epicentre was two km northwest of Kokrajhar town in Assam and at a depth of 10 km.

People rushed out of their houses and offices in Guwahati and other areas, officials said, adding that there were no reports of loss of life or damage to property.

The tremor was felt in six northern districts of West Bengal as well as the metropolis and its surrounding districts, officials said.

An unconfirmed report said a 22-year-old man, Samrat Das, slipped on a staircase and suffered injuries while rushing out of a multi-storied building in Siliguri in north Bengal during the quake. He died on his way to a hospital, his mother Usha Das was quoted as saying in the report.

In Bihar, the tremor-hit areas included Patna, Bhagalpur, Araria, Kishanganj, Saharsa, Madhepura, Munger and Begusarai.

Panic-stricken residents in Patna rushed out of buildings.

The quake was felt in Dumka, Pakur, Sahibganj and Godda districts of Jharkhand.

It was also felt in Shillong and other parts of Meghalaya, but there was no report of any casualty, a police officer said.