5.0-magnitude earthquake hits Assam’s Morigaon, tremors felt in Guwahati

An earthquake of magnitude five on the Richter scale jolted Assam’s Morigaon district in the early hours of Thursday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) noted.

The tremors were felt in Guwahati and other parts of the state.

According to the quake monitoring agency, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 16 kilometre at around 2:25 a.m.

“EQ of M: 5.0, On: 27/02/2025 02:25:40 IST, Lat: 26.28 N, Long: 92.24 E, Depth: 16 Km, Location: Morigaon, Assam,” NCS posted on X.

Details regarding the epicentre and impact of the seismic activity were not immediately clear.

A magnitude 5 earthquake is considered a moderate one, with the potential to cause noticeable shaking of indoor items, rattling noises, and minor damage.

Earthquakes are quite common in Assam since the state sits in one of India’s most earthquake-prone zones. It falls under Seismic Zone V, which means it’s at high risk of strong tremors.

Over the years, the region has seen some massive quakes, like the 1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake (8.6 magnitude) and the 1897 Shillong earthquake (8.1 magnitude) -- both among the strongest in history.

This comes days after a magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit the Bay of Bengal, with tremors felt in Kolkata and several parts of West Bengal. The NCS reported that the quake occurred at 6:10 a.m. on February 25.

An India Meteorological Department official told media that said the earthquake was recorded near Puri in Odisha. The quake occurred at a depth of 91 km in the Bay of Bengal, the official said.

The tremor was recorded at latitude 19.52 N and longitude 88.55 E, he added.

Though the earthquake tremors caused momentary panic among the residents of Kolkata, no immediate reports of damage or casualties have surfaced.

“EQ of M: 5.1, On: 25/02/2025 06:10:25 IST, Lat: 19.52 N, Long: 88.55 E, Depth: 91 Km, Location: Bay of Bengal,” the NCS posted on X.