PTI
IMPHAL, JANUARY 4
At least nine persons were killed and over 100 injured as a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake epicentred in Manipur today struck the northeastern and eastern regions, damaging buildings and sparking panic that sent people scampering out of their homes.
While seven people were killed in Manipur, one each died in Bihar and West Bengal after suffering heart attacks following the earthquake that hit at around 4.30 AM with its epicenter being at Kabui Kjulen, 10km from Noney sub-division of Manipur’s Tamenglong district, officials said.
The epicentre of the quake was at a depth of 17km in Tamenglong district where many buildings collapsed or developed cracks. But no casaulties reported from Tamenglong.
“The epicentre was near the river Barak, so there was little damage. Though cracks have been reported from many houses, so far there has been no report of any casualty,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Joseph Paulin told PTI.
Of the seven dead in Manipur, three were from Imphal West district and identified as Kangujam Ibotombi (64) of Taobungkhok village, Debumaya Mote (55) under Sekmai police station and Darsha Mote (11) of Premnagar.
Two other victims were from Imphal East district and identified as Dijapati (17) of Chandranathpur in Jiribam sub-division and Moirangthem Sarat (56) of Luwangsangbam Makha Leikai under Heingang police station.
Another victim was identified as Geeta Rimal (19) of P Molding Nepali part-I village under Sapermeina police station of Manipur, police sources here said adding one person also lost life in Senapati district.
About 100 people received injuries and of them 33 were in serious condition and admitted to different hospitals in Manipur, official sources said.
The state cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, decided to provide ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the family of deceased.
“Damage to a few buildings, residential units and Government offices have been reported, including damage to a six storey building in Imphal,” according to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Several buildings in Manipur secretariat and the landmark Ima market in Imphal developed cracks while some school structures collapsed.
People were jolted out of their sleep in northeastern and eastern states including, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, and many of them scampered out of their homes.
Power supply to Imphal city was disrupted and some power installations have suffered damage, an official statement said after Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha held a meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) this morning.
Army and Air Force have mounted relief operations and two teams of National Disaster Response Force were rushed to Imphal while one was being sent to Assam where at least 20 people were injured.
Nagaland government taking measures on earthquake
The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), Home Department through its State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC) in a press release said it has been coordinating with Districts Disaster Management Authorities and confirmed that no human casualties and major damage to properties are reported in Nagaland. However, Peren District Disaster Management Authority reported damage of houses at Nsong and Athibung under Tening Block and the Dimapur District Disaster Management Authority also informed damage of Apostolic Revival Church at Zakisato Colony Dimapur.
The NSDMA said that the Home Department is collating more details of loss and damage report due to the January 4, 2016 earthquake in the State from other District Disaster Management Authorities. NSDMA has submitted a brief status report to National Emergency Response Center, Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI at New Delhi.
And NSDMA is coordinating with the Government of Manipur to extend any possible help and support if necessary.
NSDMA, Home Department then informed the public not to panic and spread unnecessary rumors which will create fear psychosis. The public is advised to be vigilant and call State Emergency Operation Center of NSDMA, Home Department for any further of information @ toll free number 1070 and landline number @ 0370-2291122.
According to NSDMA, on Monday the magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the western part of Manipur between Imphal and Noney-Longmai Tamenglong district occurred as the result of strike slip faulting in the complex plate boundary region between India and the Eurasia plate in Southeast Asia. The earthquake occurred at a depth of close to 50-55 km within the lithosphere plate. The origin time of January 4 earthquake occurred at 4: 37 am. The travel time residual is 1.05 second. In the neighboring state of Manipur such as Nagaland, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura the intensity was felt very strong.
There was a piece in Journal of Geophysical Research in February last year saying that ‘a stretch of the central Himalayan region is ripe for an earthquake more powerful than any it has experienced over the past 700 years.’ It however reported that ‘the best available science cannot predict exactly when it will occur.’
According to the piece, three Indian geophysicists ‘have excavated fresh evidence for a massive build-up of tectonic strain along a 600 km stretch of the central Himalayas long overdue for release through an earthquake that they say could flatten unprotected structures hundreds of kilometres away.’ Their finding suggests that this ‘central Himalayan region that extends from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh to the Bihar-Nepal border has not experienced any earthquake of magnitude 8 since the 14th century.’
According to the report,this relatively ‘quiescent phase implies that the tectonic strain that results from the Indian plate pushing against the Asian plate has accumulated there without adequate release for nearly 700 years.’ This segment is mature – it’s ready for a really big earthquake,’ said Chittenipattu Rajendran, professor of geodynamics at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, who led the study, “We can say that now with even greater confidence than before – but we cannot say when,’ he said.
At least three people died in Bangladesh in a massive earthquake that also jolted the northeastern region of India.
The quake, with its epicentre in Tamenglong district of Manipur and measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, shook the country, rattling nerves and causing panic, Xinhua reported.
A youth died following a heart attack in Dhaka while another person succumbed to injuries sustained while rushing out from his home in Rajshahi district, some 256 km west of capital Dhaka.
An old man also died following a heart attack in Lalmonirhat district, 343 km from Dhaka.
Around 100 people have also reportedly been injured in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country as they rushed out of their respective residences for safety in panic.
Panic-gripped people, who took to the streets and stayed there for a long time being afraid of possible aftershocks, were seen reciting verses of the Holy Quran and other prayers loudly.
Some of them started the Azan (call for prayer) to seek God’s mercy.
Mizanur Rahman, director of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, said at least 40 persons were rushed to the hospital.
He said several of them were injured when they jumped from upper floors of buildings.
Dozens of Dhaka University students were also injured while evacuating halls during the quake.
However, police and fire officials said there were no immediate reports of any big damage.
Although no major building collapsed in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country yet, the powerful earthquake reportedly caused cracks and tilting of some buildings.
A meteorologist of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said the quake, with its epicentre some 352 km to the east-northeast of Dhaka, struck the country around 5.05 a.m. (local time).
Thousands of people in Dhaka and many other parts panicked and rushed outdoors following the jolts which lasted for several seconds.
Abdur Rahim, a resident of Dhaka, described the temblor as a big crash that shook his house.
Bangladesh, which sits on the earthquake zone, is prone to tremors and experts have predicted a major earthquake in the near future.
The Earthquake Disaster Risk Index of Stanford University ranks Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka among the 20 cities most vulnerable to earthquakes in the world.
