Moderate earthquake rocks NE and Myanmar

IMPHAL, April 11: A tremor of moderate intensity rocked the Northeast India and neighbouring Myanmar at 0338 hours with its epicentre at Churachandpur. According to the data recorded by the Seismological Observatory located at the Manipur University, the magnitude has been recorded at 5.2 on the Richter scale. The first motion arrival time of the shock was recorded at 3 hr. 38 min. 36:59 seconds, and the origin time of the shock is estimated to be 3 hr. 38 min. 18 sec. (IST). The epicentre is located at Sinzang-Kaihlam-Umtal region of Churachandpur district (24?N latitude and 94.4?E longitude) and the felt duration was about 10 seconds. According to authorities at the observatory, further details are being worked out in the department. A statement issued by the Department of Earth Sciences Manipur University while maintaining that the seismological network in Manipur is being operated by Manipur University with high precision digital seismographs and the local seismicity is being monitored continuously since 1995, it said it would be wrong to believe the so called prediction of natural catastrophes-as science has so far not been able to predict earthquakes. It however said that earthquake hazard preparedness and to determine the earthquake parameters to increase the sustainability of man-made structures is necessary, as done globally nowadays.