Mild tremors reported in Visakhapatnam, people rush out of homes

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) tweeted asking people to take “precautionary steps” after the tremors were reported at 7:13am.

Mild tremors shook parts of Visakhapatnam on Sunday morning prompting people to run out of their homes in several areas of the city in Andhra Pradesh.

According to reports residents of high rise buildings and apartments rushed out of their homes in Sagar Nagar, MVP Colony, Peda Waltair, One Town, Akkayyapalem, Kancharapalem, NAD, Gajuwaka and Vepsginta areas of Visakhapatnam.

The National Center for Seismology said it was an earthquake of magnitude 1.8.

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) tweeted asking people to take “precautionary steps” after the tremors were reported at 7:13am.

“Dear Citizens, The treamor was felt across the city around 7.14 am today. It's requested to take precautionary steps to avoid possible earthquake impact,” GVMC said in the tweet.

“In case of any earthquake like experience, come out of houses and stay in open safe spaces . Dont panic, Be Safe,” it also posted.

Several social media users tweeted they felt the tremors that lasted for a few seconds and heard a “loud explosion-like” sound in Visakhapatnam.

“Okay. What was that?! Something felt like earthquake after a strange loud sound,” a user tweeted.

“Experienced an earthquake around early morning 7:15, Also some sounds too,” another user posted on Twitter.

Some also pointed out that there were minor tremors. 

“1.8 in richter scale is too small to have been felt. No source quoted it as some seismic activity in Visakhapatnam. It is highly unlikely that it is an earthquake but some explosion in sea or underground. Let's wait for confirmation from navy or other industrial establishment,” a user wrote.

Volcanodiscovery.com said it received “unverified early reports of ground shaking” caused by possible “seismic activity” near Visakhapatnam.

“We are receiving unverified early reports of ground shaking possibly caused by seismic activity in or near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India on 14 Nov 2021 (GMT) at approximately 01:43. There are no details yet on the magnitude or depth of this possible quake,” the website reported.