Visakhapatnam/ Hyderabad: A small earthquake was felt in several parts of Srikakulam district early on Wednesday. The tremors were experienced for about 10 seconds in Palasa, Kanchili, Sompeta, Mandasa, Vajrapu Kotturu and Haripuram mandals of the district.
There were no casualties, and cracks were reported on some houses. As the buildings and the furniture shook, panicky locals came out of their homes for a few hours.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, M. Raja Babu of Mandasa said, “The ground beneath my feet shook for a while at about 7.20 am. I came on to the road immediately with my wife and children. Luckily there was no damage to my house.” He said his friends and relatives in neighbouring areas too had felt the tremors.
In Hyderabad, the National Geophysical Research Institute said the small earthquake was recorded with a magnitude of 2.8.
NGRI chief scientist Dr N. Purnachandra Rao said, “Small earthquakes are not new to that region and are part of intra-plate seismicity”
The largest earthquake in the north coastal Andhra region occurred in Vizianagaram in 1917 of 5.5 magnitude. “It is a low hazard are falling under Zone 2 and 3 as per the seismic zonation map,” Dr Rao said.
