Mumbai: Four earthquake tremors struck parts of Maharashtra’s Marathwada region in the early hours of Thursday, triggering panic among residents.
The tremors, which measured between 3.6 and 4.6 on the Richter scale, were felt across the districts of Hingoli, Nanded, and Parbhani.
According to officials from the District Emergency Operations Centre, no casualties or significant damage to property have been reported so far. However, the sheer frequency of the seismic activity within a tight two-hour window kept anxious locals out of their beds and on the streets for the remainder of the night.
A Tense Two H
ours: Timeline of the Tremors
First and Strongest Tremor (Magnitude 4.6)
1:37 AM
The most severe jolt struck with an epicenter located 10 km deep near Pangra Shinde village in the Vasmat taluka of Hingoli district.
Second Tremor (Magnitude 3.6)
2:15 AM
A lighter follow-up tremor shook the region, centered around the Kakaddhaba area.
Third Tremor (Magnitude 3.9)
2:17 AM
Just two minutes later, a third distinct shockwave rolled through the same Kakaddhaba sector, amplifying local anxieties.
Fourth Tremor (Mild)
3:23 AM
A final, milder tremor was recorded, bringing an end to a highly unusual night of seismic activity.
According to the News18 report, the initial earthquake was preceded and accompanied by a loud underground rumbling. The phenomenon, felt across the Basmat, Kalamnuri, Aundha Nagnath, and Hingoli talukas, heightened local panic as structures began to shake in the dead of night.
“This is the first time in many years that we have recorded four distinct tremors over just a two-hour span in this region,” Dr Shrinivas Aundhkar, geologist and Director of the MGM Science Centre in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, was quoted as saying.
He added that the region has experienced more than 37 mild tremors over the past six years.