5.1-magnitude earthquake jolts central Assam, tremors felt across northeast

An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck central Assam in the early hours of Monday, triggering panic among residents across large parts of the northeastern region, though no casualties or damage to property were reported.

According to an official bulletin issued by the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake was recorded at 4.17 am with its epicentre located in Morigaon district on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra. The tremor originated at a depth of 50 kilometres, with the epicentre positioned at latitude 26.37° North and longitude 92.29° East.

The quake was felt across several districts of Assam, including Kamrup Metropolitan, Nagaon, East Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Hojai, Dima Hasao, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar and Goalpara. 

Districts on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra, such as Darrang, Tamulpur, Sonitpur, Kamrup, Biswanath, Udalguri, Nalbari, Bajali, Barpeta, Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Lakhimpur, also experienced the tremors.

The impact of the earthquake extended beyond Assam, with people in parts of central-western Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura reporting tremors. Shaking was also felt in several areas of West Bengal, as well as in central-eastern Bhutan, parts of China and Bangladesh.

The sudden tremor jolted people out of their sleep, forcing many to rush out of their homes and gather in open spaces as a precautionary measure. However, officials confirmed that there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to infrastructure.

The northeastern region of India lies in one of the highest seismic zones in the country and is considered highly prone to earthquakes. Authorities continue to monitor the situation and have urged residents to remain calm while following standard safety protocols during seismic events.