ITANAGAR, April 24 - An earthquake of medium intensity, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, jolted Arunachal Pradesh in the early hours today.
The epicentre of the earthquake was West Siang district of the State, the National Centre for Seismology said. The quake occurred at 1.45 am at a depth of 10 km.
An official release from the West Siang district administration said that the earthquake with magnitude of 5.8 shook West Siang, compelling many to run out of their houses.
West Siang District Disaster Management Officer Nima Dorjee inspected the scene with a team of officials. He disclosed that the epicentre of the earthquake is likely within a radius of 10 km from the Darak Circle in West Siang and Kaying in Siang district. Though there was no report of any human casualty, the tremor triggered �massive� landslides at several locations and cracks have developed in some buildings.
The release said the tremor triggered massive landslides at vulnerable locations on the Kamba-Darak road, 25 km from Aalo, blocking traffic. However, the local PMGSY contractor later cleared the blockade. The roads from Darak to Poyom, Darak to Bogo and Darak to Potom village were also blocked due to landslides at vulnerable locations.
Two semi-RCC buildings of the Health department developed cracks, and the semi-RCC kitchen and three rooms of a private building were also found with cracks. A portion of an RCC wall at the Darak Circle office also collapsed due to the earthquake. More reports of damage are expected from far-flung areas, the release added.
The quake was also felt in the State capital, where panic-stricken people ran out of their houses. But there was no report of any damage to property.
The North Eastern region including Arunachal Pradesh falls under the highly seismic Zone V.
