JOIN USA moderate earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale on Wednesday night jolted Delhi, National Capital Region, Chennai and large parts of eastern and northern India but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to properties.
The quake struck 60 km east of Paradip at a depth of 10 km at 9:52 pm, said L S Rathore, Director General, India Meterological Department.
“The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Bay of Bengal with its coordinates being 18.1 degree north and 87.8 degree east, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale,” said Ministry of Earth Science Secretary Shailesh Nayak.
Panic gripped people in several parts of Odisha, including capital city Bhubaneswar. The quake lasted for about 15 seconds. In some places, the tremor was felt twice.
Residents, particularly those staying in apartment buildings, came out onto the streets as furniture in their houses started shaking. Some people began shouting to alert others to rush to safety.
“I thought an low-flying aircraft was about to hit our rooftop,” said Saras, a resident of Kalayani Nagar in Patrapara, a locality close to the Bhubaneswar airport.
The office of the state’s Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said there was no report yet about loss of life or damage to property. “We are in the process of collecting information,” said an official in the SRC’s office.
Unconfirmed sources said the epicenter of the quake could be somewhere inside the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Paradip in the coastal Jagatsinghpur district.