In the early morning of the day, a powerful earthquake hit the Rapar area in the Kutch district of Gujarat and caused earthquakes to shake the region, causing people to get out of their houses in panic. The sharp shaking that was experienced when most people were asleep came with some panic when doors, windows, and domestic objects seemed to rattle.
As per the initial reports given by seismological and other government bodies, this earthquake was felt at an approximate time of 5:47 am. The epicentre was near the town of Rapar, and was at a shallow depth, causing the shaking to be felt more because of the moderate magnitude. Authorities reported that the quake was approximately 2.5 on the Richter scale, but even weaker earthquakes are experienced as strong in the area, especially when the earthquakes are close to the surface.
According to the residents of the area, there was a short, sudden shock which was sharp in nature, and aftershocks were experienced in certain sectors of the town. The people came out in the open spaces in large numbers in order to be on the safe side due to the region having a long history of seismic activity. Kutch is regarded as among the most seismically prone areas in India because there are numerous fault lines running under the area.
This is the most recent tremor in the area that followed a more powerful quake that had a magnitude of about 4.6 in late December. The frequent tremor operations have kept on the toes those in authority and the citizens concerned on their toes about the likelihood of active tremor in the forthcoming days.
Disaster management teams and local administration indicated that they had not received any immediate report of injuries and significant property damage. Nevertheless, authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation, and they have urged locals to report cases of structural cracks and safety issues to the local authorities.
Seismologists clarify that smaller earthquakes are comparatively frequent in tectonically active areas such as Kutch, where the underground stress is discharged slowly across fault lines. Although these tremors, in most cases, are not very devastating, they act as a reminder of how the region is susceptible to bigger seismic movements.
The government has urged the people to maintain cool and take simple safety precautions during and after tremors. These include the maintenance of off windows and other heavy furniture, moving as much as possible to open areas and avoiding the use of elevators when shaking.
The 2001 Bhuj earthquake that ravaged most of Kutch and the surrounding regions is a keen reminder of the possible consequences of huge earthquakes in the region. The construction codes and emergency preparedness measures have since then been increased in an effort to reduce risks.
As the monitoring continues, the authorities state that they are now prepared to take action promptly in the event that they come across more action. People are encouraged to be informed of all changes by official means and not to share rumours and unconfirmed data.
The low-intensity quake in the early mornings has brought back the awareness and preparedness of the region once again, as one of the most prone areas of the Indian continent, as well as the need to maintain resilient infrastructure in a highly sensitive region to earthquakes.
