4.6 quake jolts N Bengal, Sikkim

SNS, Siliguri, 4 December 2013: An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale jolted north Bengal and Sikkim, this evening. 

There was no report of damage or casualties. According to Mr Gopinath Raha, in-charge, State Meteorological Centre, Gangtok, the quake’s epicenter was detected at 26.5 degree north, 88.2 degree east. 

“The earthquake hit at 6.35 p.m.  The epicenter of the earthquake seems to be near Kishanganj on the Bihar-West Bengal border, at a depth of 20 km below sea-level. However, we are still analyzing data,” he said. This evening’s tremor, which lasted barely for five seconds, created panic in the region. People came out of their houses in fear. 

“I was watching TV at home when I felt a strong jolt which disappeared in seconds. That was enough for me to rush out,” said Sumita Saha, a resident of Islampur. Dipika Roy, a 39-year-old homemaker, in Hakimpara, Siliguri, said she could not feel the quake. 

“I was talking to my sister over the phone on the terrace of my house and saw some of the people on the road running. I remembered the 18 September quake of 2011. It scared my family so much that my family and I slept in an open field for two nights.” 

The fear was evident on the faces of many people in the region who had witnessed the on 18 September earthquake. 

“When the tremors started, I was in the bathroom. My mother told me to open the latch and run. I shouted for help as I could not open the latch. We fear another quake might shake the region tonight. We shall remain awake,” said Amrita Roy, a teacher.