A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter Scale jolted Assam and other States of the region at 10:20 am today (Sep 12) with the epicentre of the tremor around 9 kms from Sapatgram along the Dhubri-Kokrajhar border in Dhubri district.
The tremors were even felt in parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand.
The quake lasted around 15-20 seconds and was recorded at a depth of 13 kilometers below the earth’s surface.
#BREAKING | Earthquake jolts #Guwahati and other parts of #Assam and the region. No immediate reports of damage to property or human casualty.
— NEWS LIVE (@NewsLiveGhy) September 12, 2018
#BREAKING | Earthquake that jolted parts of #Assam, #Meghalaya and rest of the region measured 5.6 on the Richter Scale, states USGS; epicentre near Sapatgram in Dhubri district. pic.twitter.com/q9myOAGDyK
— NEWS LIVE (@NewsLiveGhy) September 12, 2018
A few incidents of cracks appearing on the walls of a few buildings near the epicentre have been reported although there have been no reports of large-scale damage to property or injuries and loss of life.
Photographs showed minor cracks in the wall of a classroom at Bodoland University in Kokrajhar.
On the other hand, a mound of earth along with some rocks came crashing down on the Digaru river after the earthquake with people blaming a construction company for the incident and accusing them of storing the rocks illegally.
#FLASH | Landslip at Sonapur on the outskirts of #Guwahati after today's earthquake, mound of earth and rocks fall into Digaru river. Locals blame a construction company named ABCI, accuse them of illegally storing huge rocks near the river that triggered the lanslide. pic.twitter.com/K0HnkHssH1
— NEWS LIVE (@NewsLiveGhy) September 12, 2018
However, people ran out of their houses and offices following the quake. People also shared their experiences in various social media platforms.