Earthquake tremors of 4.1 magnitude felt in Assam
Premium- The area is seismically very active and falls in the highest seismic hazard zone V, associated with collisional tectonics where the Indian plate subducts beneath the Eurasian plate
An earthquake of 4.1 magnitude hit Guwahati city and its nearby areas in Assam on Sunday, an official bulletin said.
There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property, it said.
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The earthquake took place at 2.23 pm and the epicentre was in Sonitpur district near Guwahati, the National Center for Seismology said.
The depth of the earthquake was 16-km, it said.
Meanwhile, last month in Sonitpur, whose headquarters Tezpur was rocked first by the strong temblor at 7.51 am on Wednesday, and its nearby areas on both sides of Brahmaputra river in central Assam have experienced more than 25 aftershocks, an official said.
Earlier the Assam government had officials concerned to assess the situation and directed them to collect data of tremors of different magnitudes since 1896 for examining the nature of their impact to prepare an effective mitigation roadmap for the future. He also stressed on the importance of ensuring strict adherence to building by-laws and National Building Code and ordered for setting up an expert committee for maintaining earthquake resistant design in the construction of buildings appropriate for seismic zone-v in which Assam falls.
The preliminary analysis shows that the events are located near to Kopili Fault closer to Himalayan Frontal Thrust. The area is seismically very active and falls in the highest seismic hazard zone V, associated with collisional tectonics where the Indian plate subducts beneath the Eurasian plate. The historical and instrumentally recorded earthquake data reveals that the region is affected by moderate to large earthquakes. The most prominent event was recorded on July 29, 1960 when a quake of the magnitude of 6 was reported, it added. The impact of it was then felt in almost the entire Northeastern region, parts of West Bengal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
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