Quake Shakes Buildings In India's Gujarat State
Date: 08-Mar-06
Country: INDIA
"Until now, no damage to life and property has been reported," state police chief A.K. Bhargava told Reuters late on Tuesday. The city police control room also said it had received no reports of damage or injuries.
The epicentre of the earthquake was northwest of Ahmedabad and north of Rajkot, both in Gujarat state, the USGS said.
An official at the Indian Meteorological Department in New Delhi said the tremor was recorded at 11:51 p.m. (1821 GMT) and confirmed the 5.2 intensity.
"It was a moderate earthquake," the official said, adding that the tremors were felt throughout Gujarat and neighbouring Rajasthan state and in the western suburbs of Delhi.
"My whole building shook," said a Reuters reporter living in a 10-storey building in Ahmedabad, Gujarat's main city. "The floor moved and kitchen utensils shook," she said, adding that the tremor lasted about a minute and caused instant panic.
"I can see almost the entire city on the streets," she said. "People are sitting at road crossings and there are traffic jams everywhere." People began returning to their homes after an hour or so.
The state's disaster management authority was alerted and police patrolled the streets to maintain calm.
More than 20,000 people died when a powerful quake hit Gujarat in 2001.
