Most dangerous earthquakes in India

SOME IMPORTANT EARTHQUAKES IN INDIA

1. Cutch Earthquake of June, 16th, 1819

2. Bengal and Kashmir Earthquake of 1885 

3. Assam Earthquake of 1897, 1935, 1950, 1988 (6th Aug 1988) 

4. Kangra Earthquake 1905, 1975, 1987 

5. Bihar Earthquake 15th Jan 1934, 21st Aug 1988

6. Koyna Earthquake 11th December 1967. 

EARTHQUAKES IN INDIA 

Recent Earthquakes in India-North Eastern Region 

It was on 6th of Aug 1988, several parts of north, north eastern and eastern India were rocked by moderate to severe earthquake causing extensive damage to buildings and disrupting rail and tele-com link. 

Two shock waves with their origin in the Hindukush-region and Indo-Burma border rumbled across Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal, Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and New Delhi, forcing people out of their homes. Panic-stricken people rushed out of their houses as the quake accompained by rumblings ran through rattling doors and windows. The earthquake epicentre in the Hindukush region as recorded by the seismograph at Delhi at 2.06 p.m. (IST) indicated to be at a distance of about 1000 km. The seismological observatory at Shillong reported that the quake had its epicentre 295 km south -east of Shillong. The Coloba observatory in Bombay registered two earthquakes at 6.11 am and 2.37 p.m. with epicentres between 1923 km and 1971 km north-east of Bombay. 

Intensity - The quakes measured. 6.5 to 7 on the open ended Richter scale.

Damage - A hotel building caved in by a metre on central road in Silchar during the quake, normal life, power supply, rail services were greatly disturbed. In Shivsager, bricks, concrete lumps of a Shiva temple gave away prompting the district authorities to prohibit entry of pilgrims as a precautionary measure, Eventhough no major casualty has been reported, majority of the people believe that the tremor is the second major earthquake since the devastating Assam earthquake in 1950.

New Oil Finding 

An oily substance oozed out in the Paltan-bazar area forcing the police tocordon it offand oil-expertsare looking into the phenomenon. 

Earthquakes were also felt in Uzbekistan and Tajikastan at 10.30 a.m. on 6.8.88. The epicentre of the quake was in Afghanistan. The force of the earth-tremors at different places in Soviet Union varied between 3 to 5 points. 

BIHAR EARTHQUAKE—2Ist August 1988 

A massive earthquake rocked the Himalayan region in the early hours of 21st August 1988 (Sunday) has left a trail of destruction and misery. The disaster was a reminiscent of 1934 quake. What has added poignancy is the fact that most of the victims had been trapped dead by the debris of the collapsing structures while they were in their sleep. 

The quake strongest to hit the area in the 54 years destroyed thousands of buildings, killing more than a thousand and leaving more than 25,000 injured, when the quake rocked the whole of the north and central Bihar and parts of south Bihar atabout4.40 a.m. on 21st of Aug, 1988 . 

As far as the intensity of the shock and the geographical extent of its impact is concerned, the quake had its epicentre located on the Indo-Nepal Border about 80 kms north east of Dharbhanga in Bihar recorded 6.7 on the open ended Richter scale, although China’s State Seismological Burueau is stated to have cited it to be 7.1. That Uttar pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and all the north-eastern states, besides Bangladesh, also experienced tremors testify to the severity of the visitation. The worst hit districts were Dharbhanga, Madhubani and Monghyr though its impact was also felt in several other districts including Begusarai and Saharasa. 

The one minute quake flattened houses, breached flood protection dykes and triggered landslides.While-the-initial tremor lasted one minute, several after shocks were felt until 6 a.m. 

In several parts of the State, rail and road communications were - disrupted following collapse or sinking of tracks, damage to the bridges and roads. The Kosi river was rising alarmingly. 

Earthquake in Nepal 

Above 700 people have been killed and more than thousands injured when the quake rocked the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal at 4.54 a.m. local time (4.40 a.m. IST) on 21st August 1988. Huge landslips caused by the quake have blocked traffic in the Dharan Dhankuta Highway in Fastern Nepal. A 1 km stretch of the Mahendra Highway has got etevated by two feet starting from Lahan, also in eastern Nepal. Most of the wells in the area got filled up with sand. 

The Nepalese Mines and Geology department said that the quake recorded 5.7 on the Richter-Scale and lasted 40 to 60 seconds. The epicentre of the tremor was located at 26.7° latitude and and 86.6° longitude around Udayapur in Sagarmatha zone of eastern Nepal, 170 Km South east of Kathamandu. 

This is a worst disaster to occur in the region after 54 years. In the cataclysm that hit the area on 15th January 1934, as many as 10,700 human lives were lost and several towns in Bihar were wiped out of existence by a quake that touched 8.4 in the Richter scale. 

The present Bihar Nepal quake (21/8/1988) is being described here as the second in magnitude and effect to the great earthquake of 1934.