An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 shook Telangana’s Mulugu district on Wednesday morning, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said. The quake hit at around 7:27 am on Wednesday at a depth of 40 kms and was centred around the Mulugu region, according to the NCS.
5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Telangana
Why In News
- An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 shook Telangana’s Mulugu district on Wednesday morning, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said. The quake hit at around 7:27 am on Wednesday at a depth of 40 kms and was centred around the Mulugu region, according to the NCS.
All You Need To Know
- There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage. Authorities are currently assessing the situation, while experts have urged residents to remain vigilant and avoid crowded or unsafe buildings during earthquakes.
- People in Mulugu and its neighbouring districts, including Hyderabad, felt the tremors as the moderate intensity quake hit the region.
- “For the first time in last 20years, one of the strongest earthquake occured in Telangana with 5.3 magnitude earthquake at Mulugu as epicentre.
- Entire Telangana including Hyderabad too felt the tremors. Once again earthquake at Godavari river bed, but a pretty strong one,” a social media user by the name ‘Telangana Weatherman’ wrote on X.
- Meanwhile, minor tremors were felt in BHEL, RC Puram and Sangareddy town, and various parts of Sangareddy district at 7.30 am. While the Indian Seismology Centre identified the location in the forests of Eturngaram, the US Geological Survey monitoring station reported the quake as the origination on the banks of the Godavari River in the same location.
- The strongest earthquake in the region was recorded on September 30, 1993, at 6.2 magnitude onthe Richter scale since records were maintained from 1900.
Seismic Zones
- Telangana rarely experiences seismic activity, making the quake a rare event in the region.
- There are four Seismic zones in India: Zone II, Zone III, Zone IV, and Zone V. Zone V expects the highest level of seismicity, whereas Zone II is associated with the lowest level of seismicity. Telangana is grouped in Zone II, a low-intensity zone.
- Approximately, 11% of the country falls in zone V, approximately18% in zone IV, approximately 30% in zone III and the remaining in zone II. A total of approximately 59% of the landmass of India (covering all states of India) is prone to earthquakes of different intensities.
