2 quakes hit Junagadh, one dead, 200 houses damaged

One woman was dead and about 200 houses damaged after a tremor measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale rocked Junagadh at 3.08 pm on Tuesday. There was panic in the area as two tremors struck in the space of eight hours, disrupting power supply and telecommunication that remained inoperative for hours. The first tremor measured 4.5 on the Richter scale and occured at around 5.57 am. The epicenter of both was reported to be in the Sasan Gir forest area, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.

A body of a woman, identified as Jomiben Bhanabhai, was recovered from the debris after a house collapsed in Hiranwel village in Talala taluka. About a dozen others were reported to have been injured. Property losses were reported from three villages — Hiranwel, Chitrawad and Haripur. When contacted, Jagatsinh Anadkat, medical officer, Talala community health centre, has confirmed the death. “The old woman had fatal injuries. We have given primary treatment to about a dozen injured people,” Anadkat said.

The district collector has dispatched six teams to the villages for damage survey. Houses have developed cracks in almost all the villages and towns in the Junagadh district, officials said.