An earthquake shook parts of Sikkim and North Bengal on Thursday morning. The tremor, measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale, was recorded at 11:34 AM in the Gyalshing area of Sikkim. According to reports, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres below the earth’s surface. Though the epicentre was in Sikkim, mild tremors were felt across several districts of North Bengal.
Residents in Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Siliguri experienced light shaking. However, as the intensity was low, no panic or major disruption was reported.
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Earlier this month, between February 5 and 7, Sikkim experienced around 13 tremors, raising concerns among locals and tourists. The epicentre of those quakes was located about 8 km south of Rabangla. With a large number of tourists visiting the state at the beginning of the year, the repeated tremors had initially created anxiety. The Sikkim administration later assured people that there was no reason to panic.
Recently, Sikkim has been classified under Seismic Zone 6, indicating high seismic vulnerability.
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Meanwhile, heavy snowfall over the past two days has disrupted parts of East and North Sikkim. Nearly 3,000 tourists were stranded near Changu Lake and the 15 Mile area due to snow accumulation. The state administration has stated that rescue operations are underway and arrangements have been made to safely bring down all stranded tourists.
