Earthquake of 4.6 magnitude recorded in Kutch, Gujarat; No casualties or property damage

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Friday morning, causing panic among residents, though no casualties or damage to property were reported, officials said.

The Gandhinagar-based Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said it was recorded at 4:30 am, with its epicenter about 22 km west north west (WNW) of Rapar in Kutch district.

The ISR said in its update that the earthquake was followed by two aftershocks of magnitude 2.5 and 3 in the same area.

Kutch district disaster management officer said there were no reports of any casualties or damage to property.

Dr. Gaurav Chauhan, geologist of the Department of Geology at Kutch University, said that the 4.6 magnitude earthquake near Rapar occurred on the North Vagad Fault Line, with its epicenter recorded at a depth of five kilometers.

Also read: Earthquake of 5.8 magnitude hits parts of north-east region

He said, “The impact of this earthquake was greater due to the shallow depth of the epicenter. After this earthquake, 17 small and major tremors were recorded at a depth of 10-20 kilometers till 12 noon.”

A local leader from Vagad said the earthquake woke people from their sleep and brought back memories of the devastating 2001 earthquake.

The 2001 Kutch earthquake was the third largest and second most destructive earthquake in India in the last two centuries. A large number of towns and villages in the district suffered almost complete destruction. About 13,800 people died and 1.67 lakh were injured in the earthquake.

According to experts, Kutch district is located in a “very high risk” seismic zone, and earthquakes of low intensity occur regularly.