Early on Monday, an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 struck Assam's Morigaon district, highlighting the northeastern region's ongoing seismic susceptibility and rekindling preparation in the wake of recent tremors, according to officials.
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reports that the earthquake happened on January 5 at 04.17 a.m. with an epicentre at latitude 26.37 degrees N and longitude 92.29 degrees E at a depth of 50 kilometers.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage, according to officials. Residents who woke up to the early morning shaking were momentarily unsettled by the tremor, which was felt throughout central Assam and even in nearby places.
The incident was confirmed by the NCS bulletin, which placed it in an area where tectonic forces are known to cause frequent seismic activity.
Due to the Indian Plate colliding with the Eurasian and Burmese plates, Assam and the larger Northeast are located in one of India's most seismically active regions and are classified as having a high seismic risk.
According to studies, this tectonic setting renders towns like Guwahati and other areas in the Brahmaputra valley especially susceptible to earthquakes of all sizes and increases the frequency of seismic events.
Although no significant damage was reported, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that shook Guwahati and other parts of Assam in September of last year was felt as far away as nearby areas.
Major seismic events in the area are also documented in historical accounts, such as the disastrous Assam earthquake of 1897, which had a magnitude of over 8 and wreaked havoc throughout the Brahmaputra valley and beyond.
Experts stress the significance of earthquake-resilient infrastructure and strong disaster preparedness systems throughout Assam and the Northeast due to the regular occurrence of earthquakes, even those of mild intensity.
