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Four Quakes Hit India, Myanmar & Tajikistan in an Hour
In a dramatic reminder of the region's seismic fragility, four earthquakes struck parts of India, Myanmar, and Tajikistan within a single hour on Sunday morning, sending shockwaves—both literal and emotional—across Central and South Asia.
From Himalayan hill towns to the plains of Myanmar and the rugged terrains of Tajikistan, residents scrambled outdoors in panic as tremors rattled buildings and disrupted daily life.
The first quake was reported at 9:00 a.m. local time in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district. Measuring 3.4 in magnitude and striking at a shallow depth of just 5 kilometers, the tremor was mild but widely felt. The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) pinpointed the epicenter at latitude 31.49°N and longitude 76.94°E. Though there were no reports of injuries or damage, the sudden jolt and accompanying rumble caused momentary alarm among residents.
Shortly afterward, a more forceful 5.5 magnitude quake struck near Meiktila in central Myanmar, as confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This event comes on the heels of the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28 that killed over 3,600 people and left thousands more injured. Sunday's tremor, felt in cities like Mandalay and Naypyitaw, reportedly caused minor damage such as ceiling cracks in residential buildings.
Several residents reached by phone described chaotic scenes as people rushed out of buildings. Many, however, requested anonymity, citing fears of retaliation from Myanmar’s military regime, which maintains tight control over information flow. No new casualties have been confirmed.
Tajikistan was rattled next by two quakes in quick succession. The first, a strong 6.1 magnitude tremor (initially measured at 6.4), hit at 9:54 a.m. at a depth of 10 kilometers. The epicenter was located at latitude 38.86°N and longitude 70.61°E. The quake led to precautionary evacuations in schools and commercial areas, with local officials assessing structural safety in several buildings.
Less than an hour later, at 10:36 a.m., a 3.9 magnitude aftershock struck the same region at a similar depth. Though no injuries or significant damage were reported, the back-to-back tremors have sparked concerns about escalating seismic activity in the region.
Seismologists are monitoring the situation closely, warning that the clustering of tremors across such a wide geographical area in a short span is uncommon and warrants further investigation.