Tremors Rock Vizag City, Second Time in 4 Years
No Damage Reported as 3.7-Magnitude Quake Jolts Alluri Sitharama Raju District
Visakhapatnam: Mild tremors were felt in several areas of the city in the early hours of Tuesday, causing mild tension among the people.
Tremors were felt in Arilova, Adivivaram, Madhavadhara, Akkayyapalem, HB Colony, Allipuram, Endada, Bhimili, Pendurthi, Simhachalam, and East Point Colony at around 4.19 am.
According to the director of IMD, Amaravati, Stella S, the epicenter was G Madugula in ASR district and the magnitude of the earthquake was 4 on Richter scale at a depth of 10km.
District collector Dinesh Kumar said, “The people did not physically feel the tremors in G Madugula, though it was the epicenter.’’ This even as the residents in Visakhapatnam felt the tremors.
Residents in East Point Colony heard a loud sound and slight tremors at 4.19am but they weren’t sure it was an earthquake.
“A JCB was working in our neighbouring plot and we thought that the sound came from the heavy machinery. Later we saw the plot was empty,’’ said a 50-year-old woman resident of the colony.
IMD director Stella said no other district in the state reported tremors though there was a similar tremor of 3.1 on Richter scale in Vijayapura in Karnataka.
This was the second time people felt tremors here. On November 14, 2021, a quake measuring 5.1 on Richter scale sent tremors across the city.
Visakhapatnam and its surroundings are in seismic zone two, which refers to lowest seismic risk, indicating a low probability of earthquakes.
Prof. G. Srinivas of the geophysics department of Andhra University, who specializes in seismology, said the region was not tectonic and it consists of loose soil in a faulty structure. “It was a stress release and how often it might happen is difficult to predict,” he said.
“The danger mark is 5.5 on Richter scale, the magnitude which can damage structures on the surface,’’ Srinivas told Deccan Chronicle.
He said since many industries were lining up to invest in the Visakhapatnam region, it would be advisable to get a seismic safety assessment report so as to guard against future damage to structures.
