MAJOR EARTHQUAKES IN INDIA
Assam Earthquake (1897), Northeast India: At about 5.15 p.m. on June 12. 1897, an earthquake of severe intensity occurred in Assam. Near the epicenter, Shillong was totally destroyed. .Its magnitude was about 8.7.Its intensity was about XII as recorded in M.M scale. About 1500 people were killed and many injured. Boulders or stones partly embedded in the earth were thrown upwards vertically. Many houses sank into soft ground. Ground fissures were very common. Landslides were especially noted on the southern slopes of Khasi hills. Telegraph poles were displaced by 5 meters at some places .
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| All Saints' Church, Shillong. From "India Geological Survey,Mem.#29" Plate 1 |
Kangra Earthquake (1905): On 4th April, 1905 a major earthquake jolted Northwestern region at 6.30 morning with its epicenter in Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh. It took a toll of about 20,000 lives and felt over a very wide area of Himachal, Panjab, Garhwal, Delhi and Rajasthan. Maximum damage of Intensity X(Rosi Forrel scale) occurrend near Dharamsala town. Several desptructive effects of this earthquake were noted even 280 km away from Dhearamsala i,.e near Dehradun also. The earthquake was attributed to the Main Boundary Fault in the Himalayan foothills.
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| Kangra Earthquake (1905) |
Bihar-Nepal Earthquake (1934): This earthquake occurred in the afternoon at about 2.15 hrs IST on January 15, 1934 near Bihar- Nepal border. The epicenter lay below the alluvium close to Dharbanga and Muzaffarpur. The earthquake took a toll of more than 10,000 lives and was felt upto distances of 1500 Km. The towns of Monghyr,Motihari,Madhubani and Bettiah were totally ruined . Most of buildings were tilted or sanked in soft ground. Innumerable fissures were seen on the ground through which large quantities of sand and water were thrown on the surface .The standing crop was totally destroyed and the soil became unfit for cultivation. After shocks continued for some years.
Assam earthquake (1950): This earthquake occurred on independence day at about 7:30 pm with its epicenter near India –Mynamar border and Tibet. It caused great destruction to property in north east India particularly in north Lakhimpur ,Dibrugarh ,Jorhat , Sibsagar .Road and rail connections inn the effected areas were completely disrupted .A number of ground fissures could be seen .The bed of the river Brahamaputra rose giving rise to unprecedented floods in the valley .The shock was felt over a wide area and the after shocks continued for several years .
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| Saikoaghat, Assam |