An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale shook Odisha and many eastern Indian States on Wednesday evening.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the seismic event was of moderate intensity and had its epicentre in Bay of Bengal, about 310 km south-east of Seismological Observatory of Bhubaneswar, Director, Sarat Chandra Sahu, said.
The IMD, which recorded the time of the earthquake at 9.52 pm, said no tsunami alert has been issued. The earthquake’s epicentre was measured at latitude 18.3 degree North and Longitude 87.9 degree East, at a depth of about 10 km in the sea.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, a body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, first estimated the intensity at 6.6 on the Richter Scale before revising it to 5.8.
The USGS National Earthquake Information Centre, however, recorded it at 6.0.
The earthquake, which was felt across the State, left people panicked though no major damage or loss of life was reported.
People ran out of their houses at almost all the places. Many apartments witnessed stampede-like situation as panic-struck people tried to get to the ground floor.
Reports from coastal towns of Puri, Paradip, Bhadrak, Gopalpur and Berhampur said that people felt the tremors for several seconds. It lasted for about 10 seconds in some parts of Bhubaneswar, whereas in Puri, the impact was felt for about 5 to 10 seconds.
The impact sent awe and shock among people of the Capital City, who perhaps felt tremor of such magnitude for the first time. Patients fled the hospitals while people made frantic calls to find out about their near and dear ones. As the realisation dawned that it was an earthquake, people started making calls, but almost all mobile service providers drew a blank with calls not going through.
“My initial reaction was the roof would come down as I felt a rail engine rammed right through my house, such was the sound,” said Aditya Panda, a resident of BJB Nagar. Initial reports said apartments in Nayapalli, Kalpana Square and Shyampur area had developed cracks, but it could not be confirmed.
At least 50 persons were admitted to Capital Hospital __ some with serious injuries and most with minor ones __ after they tried to run for safety. Deepak Swain of Pokhariput jumped from the rooftop and fractured his leg. One Pawan Gaud, 45, sustained head injuries after the asbestos of his house collapsed. Rajani Mandal of Satya Nagar tripped from the staircase while trying to run downstairs.
With fear reigning supreme, rumour mills went on the overdrive. People were reluctant to enter their houses apprehending aftershocks.
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