SHILLONG: Panic gripped Shillong and other towns of the State on Wednesday evening when a quake struck the region at 7:25 PM.
Though no casualty was reported in Shillong till late Wednesday evening, a house was damaged in Bishnupur locality while a community hall was damaged in Jowai following the earthquake.
The tremor rattled tall buildings in the city and panic stricken people ran out of their homes.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who was addressing media persons at the Main Secretariat when the quake struck the city, made a clarion call against sky rise buildings in the State.
The chief minister asked the Home minister and other officials to conduct immediate audit of the hospitals even as he expressed concern over lack of safety measures in the hospitals.
The quake which lasted for several seconds and the immediate power failure created a ruckus as security officials, women police personnel, Secretariat staff and media persons ran out of the building in panic.
There was report of some damages to houses in Mawprem area. The windows of a house broke and clothes came out of the closet.
Some bikes which were parked fell while a car reportedly tumbled down the compound and hit a wall. A wall mounted TV came off in another house.
The State chief secretary’s office chamber also developed cracks.
Further details of damages are awaited.