Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Apr 11 (PTI) An earthquake of 4.7 magnitude struck parts of Hingoli district in Marathwada region of Maharashtra on Saturday morning, while tremors were also felt in parts of neighbouring Nanded and Parbhani districts, officials said.
There are no reports of immediate loss to life, they said.
Some houses and community halls in Pangra Shinde village developed cracks, Hingoli Collector Rahul Gupta told PTI over the phone.
Nanded district officials cited a reading in the National Centre for Seismology that calculated the magnitude of the earthquake at 4.7, recorded at 8:45 AM. The epicentre was located at a depth of 10 kilometres below the ground at Shirli village in Vasmat taluka of Hingoli district, they added.
Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Nanded city and rural areas, talukas of Ardhapur, Hadgaon, and Himayatnagar, and in parts of Parbhani district, officials said.
While no loss of life has been reported from any of the affected districts so far, there have been reports of minor structural damage.
“I have received images showing cracks in houses and community halls in Pangra Shinde village in Hingoli district. Our teams are heading to the site to assess the situation and record the exact extent of the losses,” Hingoli Collector Gupta said.
Local authorities have urged citizens to remain calm and follow safety protocols. Emergency response teams have been placed on standby in Nanded and Parbhani as a precautionary measure.
Authorities have advised people living in houses with tin-sheet roofs to remove heavy stones placed on top for support and instead secure the sheets with bolts as a safety measure. In case of any further tremors or unusual sounds, residents are advised to immediately move to open spaces and inform the administration by calling the emergency helpline, the Nanded district administration said.
“When I was sitting in my college staffroom doing my work. I suddenly felt a tremor. As I heard a different sound, I was confused. Then I realised it was a mild earthquake, ” said a college teacher in Nanded.
Meanwhile, tremors of 3.4 magnitude were also felt for a few seconds in Rajura tehsil in Chandrapur district in the state’s Vidarbha region during the day.
As per the website of National Centre for Seismology, the tremors were felt for 12 seconds in Hardona village, which was the primary focal point in the district. The epicentre was near Karimnagar in Telangana, the website informed.
There was no report of loss of life or damage to property, resident deputy collector Dagudu Kumbhar said. PTI AW COR NSK BNM
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