Agartala: A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale struck Tripura this afternoon, triggering landslides in the hill state and jolting the country’s Northeast.
There was no report of any casualty. According to the National Centre for Seismology, the epicentre of the temblor which occurred at 1439 hrs was in Dhalai district in Tripura at a depth of 28 km. Panic-stricken people ran out of homes, offices and buildings in the region. “It was the strongest earthquake that I have experienced till date. It felt as if the whole building would collapse,” Pradip Mallik, an Agartala resident, said.
Landslides occurred in a number of places on the remote Chhamanu-Gobindabari Road of Dhalai district.
The quake was traced to a location in Ambassa area, about 59 km from Agartala, an official at the Regional Seismological Centre told PTI.
The officer-in-charge of Dhalai and Unakoti districts of state fire service department, Sukumar Debbarma, said landslides occurred in a number of places in a five-km radius along the Chhamanu-Gobindabari road.
Debbarma said a portion of the boundary wall of the fire service office at Unakoti district had collapsed due to the earthquake. “A 20-meter stretch of the boundary collapsed,” he said.
The quake was felt in Assam too, including capital Guwahati, and people rushed out of their houses and offices.
“Karimganj, Hailakandi, Cachar and Dima Hasao are the bordering districts of Assam with Tripura. We received reports from the authorities that no damage has taken place there,” Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) Joint Secretary Nandita Hazarika said.
Meanwhile, the moderate intensity earthquake at 5.7 Richter scale caused little damage in Tripura on Tuesday, leaving at least three students injured in the city.
According to reports, three students fell down in Umakanta Academy at a time when all rushed out from the class as tremor jolt the state. The school teachers said all three were secondary level students and after they fell down in the crowd they lost sense.
“They were immediately shifted to IGM hospital and released after first aid. They stated out of danger,” said a teacher.
Similar incidents reported from Dhalai and North Tripura but no report of any casulity yet.
A few houses in North Tripura collapsed due to the earthquake.
An aged man lost sense after the tremor hit in Unokoti district. He has suffered from cardiac arrest. He is undergoing treatment at district hospital.
A bridge and a few public buildings developed cracks in Agartala, Kumarghat, Kailashahar and Ambassa. (Agencies)
