Earthquake of 5.8 magnitude hits parts West Bengal, northeast

Guwahati: An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude shook parts of the northeast region and West Bengal on Sunday, officials said.

There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property, they said.

The epicentre of the earthquake that struck at 4.41 pm, was in Udalguri district, the officials said.

The depth of the quake was 5 km.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Assam earlier in the day, where he launched projects worth over Rs 18,000 crore.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a post on X, said, “The epicentre (of the earthquake) was near Udalguri. So far, there has been no report of any major damage or loss of life. We are actively monitoring the situation.”

Residents of Udalguri, Sonitpur, Tamulpur, Nalbari and several other districts in Assam felt the tremors, the officials said.

Panic-gripped people were seen rushing out of their residences in Guwahati. People in the western parts of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh also felt the jolt.

Residents in Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar could also be seen scampering out of their houses and shops in panic.

According to state disaster management secretary Dani Sulu, no reports of structural damage or casualties have been reported from the state so far.

“The situation is being closely monitored, but there is no cause for alarm,” he said.

The northeastern states fall in the high seismic zone, and earthquakes frequently hit the region.

A report from West Bengal said the tremors were also experienced in parts of north Bengal – Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Dooars, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar.

“I could feel the earth shaking for a few seconds. I rushed out of my house as a precautionary measure,” said Bikash Dey, a Siliguri resident.

Some people also blew conch shells, a custom believed to mitigate the impacts of a quake.

There was no report of any fatality or damage to structures due to the earthquake in any part of West Bengal, an official said.