Early hours were followed by a moderate earthquake, a Richter magnitude 4.7, that struck various parts of Hingoli district, spreading panic briefly in the streets of Hingoli district. The shaking had also reportedly been felt in nearby areas, including the Nanded and Parbhani districts, authorities said.
There had been no reports of casualties or loss of property, officials said, but shaking had been reported, and there were palpable tremors. The earthquake struck only moderately but induced enough vibration and panic among the inhabitants in many districts. This caused people to flee from their houses lest they be struck or killed. Hingoli locals said it was a moment of shaking for a few seconds.
Inside their homes, many reported to the police that there were strange sounds that struck them as recognizable: windows rippling or objects shaking around, the typical sound of an earthquake. A couple more took place in neighboring areas to Nanded and Parbhani, where people said to have been at open grounds with natural openings when quakes passed.
Local officials as well as the disaster recovery team arrived quickly and demonstrated to the public that there was no looming threat to public safety. If there will be aftershocks, they said, they should be mild but inhabitants should also be on the alert for anything harmful nearby.
Seismologists say the magnitude of such earthquakes is usually moderate, not typically dramatic, especially at more expansive depths. But it differs from place to place, mainly because of the position of the epicenter, the health of the soil and structures in the affected areas. And while Maharashtra isn’t a seismic risk region (some regions, including the Himalayas, are), tremor does occur, as the geology of the Indian plate travels.
While places may still be quite quiet, the events are a summons to the people to prepare, the experts said. Officials have also released several warnings to residents regarding some of the basic safety guidelines: Go outside to open areas during tremors and avoid glass or heavy objects that could cause a quake and avoid elevator rides in multistory buildings.
Emergency services have been sent to standby as a protective measure. Though all that damage is in progress, officials said authorities were keeping an eye on the area for more seismic activity. Those people and officials, though local, felt relief that there were no casualties and that the outcome had not hurt a great deal. Well, that really hammers home the importance of being prepared and active in natural disasters, even if their immediate impacts are negligible.
