A moderate earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck Tripura, other North Eastern States and Bangladesh on Saturday morning, causing damage to at least 12 houses in Tripura.
The quake, which occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time, was felt in several parts of Tripura, Mizoram, Assam, and adjoining Bangladesh.
According to the official report of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), 10 houses were partially damaged in Sonamura, one house was severely damaged in Bishalgarh, and one house was partially damaged in Kumarghat. There is no immediate report of any casualties due to the quake in Tripura.
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported that the tremor was originated at a depth of 55 km from the surface in Bangladesh region.
In Tripura, in the aftermath of the quake, cracks appeared in around seven houses in Murir Tilla under Matabari constituency in Gomati district. Several houses in Routhkhola and Jangalia also developed cracks, and the wall of Bishalgarh police station under Sepahijala District also developed cracks. However, there is no report of any injuries.
Owners of the houses that developed cracks are worried about their safety.
The quake has raised concerns among the people and authorities in the earthquake-prone region. Seismologists consider the northeastern belt of India to be the sixth most earthquake-prone area in the world.
Tripura is situated in seismic zone 5 which implies the State is facing very high risk of earthquake.
In view of the quake related risks, the State Government along with the Disaster Management Authorities and concerned departments are undertaking evaluation drills and keeping the volunteers ready to jump into prompt action in case of emergencies.