Several buildings damaged as North-East jolted by 5.6-magnitude earthquake

An earthquake of 5.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale rocked Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal, besides Bhutan, on Sunday, injuring three and damaging a lion sculpture of an ancient temple.

Despite the moderate intensity, it caused a lot of panic. Reports of mild tremors were also received from Nepal and Bangladesh.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said the quake shook Assam, including its capital Guwahati, Meghalaya, West Bengal and neighbouring Bhutan at 6:35 am.

IMD sources also said the epicentre was near Basugaon in the Chirang district of lower Assam at a depth of 10 KM at latitude 26.5 degrees north and longitude 90.1 degrees east. Basugaon borders the Kokrajhar district.

“We have got information that three persons sustained minor injuries when an old wall collapsed near the Kokrajhar Railway station,” said Assam State Disaster Management Authority Chief Executive Officer Pramod Kumar Tiwari.

All the injured were vegetable vendors, and are now under treatment, he said.

“A lion sculpture at an ancient temple in the Chirang district fell off its stand during the quake. District officials have visited the place and further information is awaited,” said Tiwari.
Reports of cracks in several buildings in Kokrajhar, Basugaon and neighbouring areas were coming in till the time of filing of this report.

People — many of them woken up by the earthquake — ran out of their houses as the earth started shaking.