GUWAHATI, April 25 � Two earthquakes today rocked the NE region and parts of the country around 12.15 pm and 12.18 pm, according to the Indian Standard Time (IST).
The India Meteorology Department (IMD) reported that the earthquakes were respectively of magnitudes 7.9 and 5.5 in the Richter scale and their epicentres were located inside Nepal.
According to the IMD, the epicentre of the first earthquake was located at Latitude 28.1 degree North and Longitude 84.6 degree East. The epicentre of the second tremor was at Latitude 28 degree North and Longitude 85.7 degree East.
The IMD has reported 17 tremors, six occurring today, with their epicentres located inside Nepal. The epicentre of one of them was located at a place located in the China-Nepal border region.
Even though there were reports in the local electronic media of damage to structures and death of a person in the State due to the earthquakes, till the filing of this report at 7 pm, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) received no report of any damage to property or injury to any person resulting from the earthquakes from any corner of the State.
Sources told this newspaper that the ASDMA had asked the district authorities to assess and report if the earthquakes resulted in any damage to property or injury or death of any person in their respective districts.
Our Bongaigaon correspondent reported that many buildings and roads of Bongaigaon town developed cracks under the impact of the earthquakes. A three-storey building owned by retired railway employee Tapan Pal Choudhury, located near the Deputy Commissioner�s office here, tilted towards its adjacent building under the impact of the jolts. The scared residents of the building rushed out of it.
Some newly built buildings, including the municipal market complex, developed cracks in their walls under the impact of the jolts.
However, according to the Bongaigaon District Disaster Management Authority, there was no report of any casualty from any corner of the district following the earthquakes.
Meanwhile, the Bongaigaon district administration has notified a toll-free phone number � 1077 for the common people to contact the district administration in their hours of need.
