Earthquake jolts Northeast, 5 on Richter scale

By: Syeda Ambia Zahan
GUWAHATI: Tremors were felt across parts of Assam, Meghalaya and other northeastern states as an earthquake, measuring 5 magnitude on the Richter scale, hit at 6.17pm. Tremors were also felt in a few districts of North Bengal, Alipurduar and Coochbehar.
"The location of epicentre was detected at Abhayapuri, in Bongaigaon district of western Assam, at a latitude of 26.3 north, longitude of 90.7 east and depth of 10 km from the surface. It was a moderate earthquake," said Sanjay Anil Shaw, deputy director general of meteorology at the IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati.
NFR spokesperson Nripendra Bhattacharya said, "The Dibrugarh-bound Rajdhani Express had to be halted in Barpeta Road Railway station for half an hour and a Bongaigaon-bound passenger train had to be slowed down at Sarpeta in Barpeta district after the earthquake." However no damage has been reported by the railway authority.