At least 12 small earthquakes with magnitudes from 2.6 to 3.8 shook the Saurashtra region of Gujarat between late Thursday and Friday afternoon. This caused great fear for people living in three talukas of the Rajkot district. Many residents decided to stay in open fields to keep themselves safe from any falling debris.
The Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) in Gandhinagar noted 12 tremors of 2.6 to 3.8 magnitudes. Their epicentres were found about 27 to 30 km away from the Upleta taluka, according to a report by news agency. PTIciting an official.
However, Rajkot Collector Om Prakash stated that total 21 tremors were felt in the Upleta, Dhoraji, and Jetpur talukas. These ranged in magnitude from 1.4 to 3.8.
No people were hurt and no buildings were broken so far, the authorities said.
The very first tremor of 3.3 magnitude happened at 8:43 pm on Thursday. Its epicentre was close to Upleta area.
“Because of this”earthquake swarm” (a long line of small shakes), people in Upleta, Dhoraji, and Jetpur are feeling very scared. Residents said they ran out of their homes in a rush after the first shake, said the PTI report.
They added that the earth kept shaking many more times until Friday afternoon.
Many families left their houses and stayed in empty fields to be extra careful. There are no reports of deaths or lost property from this “swarm,” Prakash said.
He added that the local government has identified weak buildings in the area and asked people to move to safer spots.
“We have communicated to the teachers in such schools, and talathis and sarpanchs after identifying old buildings. A day-long holiday has been declared in all the anganwadis and schools housed in old buildings,” Prakash said.
According to experts, these shakes are a “swarm” caused when water leaks into old cracks in the earth. This builds up deep pressure that eventually breaks out as a small earthquake. Swarms are usually weak, so they rarely cause any real damage to the area.
Magnitude 5.3 Quake Strikes Tajikistan
An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck Tajikistan on Friday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 110 km.
In a social media post on
Earlier on January 7, an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 struck Tajikistan at a depth of 170 kilometres.
Tajikistan is a mountainous country with diverse topography and is especially vulnerable to climate hazards. It is prone to earthquakes, floods, droughts, avalanches, landslides and mudslides.
