Two days after the 23rd anniversary of the horrendous earthquake that shook Kutch, an earthquake measuring 4.0 hit Bachau in Kutch, Gujarat on Jan 28. However, no casualties or damage to the property was reported, officials said.

The Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said that the epicentre was approx 21 km north-northwest of Bhachau city in district Kutch.

Kutch collector Amit Arora said that there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to any property following the mild earthquake.

Kutch district is known for its vulnerability to seismic activities and is classified as a “very high risk” zone. The region frequently experiences earthquakes, though most are of lower intensity.

Notably, a major earthquake hit Gujarat on Jan 26, 2001, which damaged several towns and villages. The infamous earthquake also killed at least 13,800 individuals, while 1,67,000 were injured.

The horrors of 2001 still dwell among the survivors and residents of Kutch after all these years.

The effects of the earthquake on Jan 28 also reached Bhachau, Chobari, Manfara, Vondh, and Samakhiali.

Aslam Sama, a resident of Bhachau, says, “I was drinking tea at my home in the evening when suddenly I felt tremors. My family and I immediately ran out of the house.”

“When in the evening I felt the tremors of the earthquake, it reminded me of the 2001 earthquake,” says Pritesh Parmar, a businessperson who owns a showroom near VD High School in Bhuj.

Sameer, a traveller from Halol who went to Kutch, said, “I was seated in the car while it was literally shaking amidst the tremors.”

Earthquakes in Kutch

Last year, eight earthquakes hit Gujarat, and seven of them were reported in Kutch.

In the last five years, a total of 33 earthquakes have hit Gujarat: six in 2019, 11 in 2020, seven in 2021, and one in 2022.

The Indo-Asian fault line was said to be the reason behind the earthquakes by experts.

The earthquakes led to more active fault lines. The faultline of Kutch is the major one, while another includes the Tapti faultline that affects Khambhat, Bharuch, Rajpipla, and Dang.

Another faultline affects Bhavnagar, Amreli, and other areas.

Earthquakes in Gujarat in 2023

(With inputs from IANS)

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