Tremor hits Odisha, but no loss of life reported

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Apr 25:

Panic gripped Odisha as most parts of the state, including the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, experienced mild termors shortly before noon today.

The tremors were felt at 11.43 am and the intensity of the quake was 2 in the Richter scale, said Dr Sarat Sahu, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.

According to reports reaching here form various places, the duration of the quake was about 60 seconds.

The quake was also felt in Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Kendrapara, Puri, Baleswar, Sundargarh, Nayagarh, Sambalpur and Sonepur districts.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradipta Mohapatra said there has been no loss of life in the state. “We are collecting reports from the districts. But considering the intensity of the tremors felt here, I am hopeful that no damages have been caused,” he said.

He, however, said though the quake was mild, it is most likely that it might strike again in the next 24 hours or at any time within a month.

Though there was no loss of life in any parts of the state, there were reports that cracks have appeared in some houses and buildings in these areas.

The tremor struck twice in quick succession. While the first tremor was of less intensity, the second tremor which struck about five minutes later was relatively stronger.

In Bhubaneswar, people staying in apartments and buildings ran out of their houses in fear. Employees working in IDCO Tower at Rupali Square came out of the building as soon as they felt the tremor.

The strong tremor was felt across north and east India, including in national capital Delhi and Bihar.

The epicentre of the earthquake measuring 7.5-magnitude was 80km (50 miles) east of Pokhara in Nepal, about half way between the town and the capital Kathmandu, the US Geological Survey said. The quake was 31km (19 miles) deep.