Low intensity earthquake causes panic in Assam

Panic grips residents in Assam, Meghalaya as an earthquake measuring 3.8 on Richter scale shook the states.

An earthquake measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale shook India's northeastern region on Tuesday morning, causing panic among residents in Assam and Meghalaya.

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R Pariong, an official of the Regional Seismological Centre said the epicentre of the earthquake was plotted 44 km northwest of Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. The tremor occurred at 7.10 a.m.

Police said people panicked and rushed out of their homes although there were no reports of any casualties or damage caused.

Two moderate intensity earthquakes had jolted the region during the past three weeks.

The seven northeastern states - Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur - considered by seismologists as the sixth major earthquake prone belt in the world, experienced one of India's worst jolts, measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale in 1897, killing 1,600 people.

Assam had experienced a massive tremor measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale on August 15, 1950, that claimed some 1,500 lives.