4.5 magnitude earthquake in Bay of Bengal triggers tremors in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam, July 12
A 4.5 magnitude earthquake in the Bay of Bengal triggered tremors in parts of Visakhapatnam and adjoining districts of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.
Some areas in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam were jolted by the tremors around 5.05 a.m.
The tremors were felt in Gajuwaka, Mangalapalem, Sagar Nagar, Pedda Waltair, Arilova, MVP colony, Appughar and other areas.
According to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a mild earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred in the Bay of Bengal early on Sunday, and mild tremors were felt in several parts of Visakhapatnam city.
National Center for Sesimology said the earthquake occurred at 5:05:46 a.m. IST at a depth of 10 km, with its epicentre located about 225 km off the Kakinada coast in the Bay of Bengal. The epicentre was located at latitude 16.805 degrees N and longitude 84.381 degrees E.
No casualties, property damage or any other loss have been reported due to the earthquake.
There are reports of tremors being felt in parts of Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Kakinada and Konaseema districts.
Experts described it as a shallow earthquake. They said there was no need for people to be worried as the tremors were mild due to structural adjustments. They pointed out that the region is considered tectonically stable.
In November last year, Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitharamaraju districts were jolted by a mild earthquake.
An earthquake of magnitude 3.7 had struck the Alluri district in north coastal Andhra on November 4, 2015. The tremors triggered panic among residents in some areas. People ran out of their houses on hearing a loud sound. However, there were no casualties or any other damage. According to the National Center of Seismology, the epicentre of the earthquake was at G. Madugula in Alluri Sitharamaraju district at a depth of 10 km. The epicentre was 110 km from the port city of Visakhapatnam.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a geologist, I can confirm this is a shallow earthquake due to minor plate adjustments in the Bay of Bengal. The region is tectonically stable, so no need for panic. But it's good to see authorities and experts providing clear explanations. Visakhapatnam should be prepared for occasional mild tremors.
5:05 AM earthquake? Even my chai wasn't ready! 😅 In Gajuwaka, the shaking was mild but enough to spill water from the bucket. Hope our buildings are built to handle such things. But honestly, better safe than sorry - glad no casualties.
Interesting how 4.5 on Richter scale feels stronger at shallow depths like 10 km. I remember the 2015 one in Alluri district - similar mild tremors but created panic. Good that authorities are monitoring with INCOIS. Still, we need better public awareness on earthquake safety in coastal Andhra.
This is scary but also fascinating... 225 km away from Kakinada coast and we still felt it. Nature ki koi limit nahi hai! 🙏 Hope people in Anakapalli and Vizianagaram are doing okay. Good job by the report for covering all areas affected.
Living in Mangalapalem, it felt like a rickshaw hit the building! 😳 The loud sound was the scariest part. But I appreciate the quick response from experts saying it's 'structural adjustments' - that helps reduce panic. Still, wish our disaster management teams had more drills for such events.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.