Earthquake causes panic among Tura residents

TURA: Hundreds of people rushed out of their homes in the dark in the early morning hours on Monday as panic gripped Tura and other towns following the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked the north-eastern region at approximately 4:30 AM (IST).
While the epicentre was in distant Imphal, Manipur’s state capital where various casualties have been reported, in Garo Hills there were no reports of any structural damage or loss of life.
However, the tremors, which were by far the longest recorded in recent times in the State, created widespread fear and panic among people of Tura town as people rushed out of their homes in darkness to escape any possible building collapse.
“Initially when the tremors first began, we thought it would pass but with each second it started to get more intense. Our wall paintings, portraits and book shelves began to shake violently. It was then that we realized it was getting dangerous so we all rushed out of our homes,” said a lady citizen from Tura.
Unwilling to take any chances, (Contd on P-10)