Chennai shook by the seismic waves of Nepal earthquake

C Shivakumar
Chennai:

The impact of the powerful earthquake in Nepal with a magnitude of 7.9
was felt in Chennai triggering panic among residents in Kodambakkam,
Nandanam, Anna Salai and several other parts of the city.



T R Vaidya, a senior scientist of the seisomology department in Indian
Meteorology Department told Express that high rise buildings in
Chennai would have felt the seismic wave.



"Chennai would have experienced the intensity of three seismic wave.
Seismic waves are generated by the release of energy during an
earthquake. They travel through the earth like waves travel through
water," he said.


He said the seismic wave of the such a huge magnitude of earthquake
around eight would be felt upto the circumference of 1500 to 2,000km.
In Delhi the intensity of seismic wave was around five, he said.

Interestingly the quake created panic among people in Chennai.
Residents living in a 10-floor building in Turnbulls Road in Teynampet
rushed out of the building as they experienced mild tremor. Even
people working in offices in Teynampet rushed out.



“The tremor was felt around 11.20 am,” said a resident. Interestingly,
residents in Anna Salai, Ashok Nagar, Vadapalani, Kodambakkam,
Mylapore. Even private hospitals and several buildings experienced the
seismic waves.





A duty officer of regional meterology centre confirmed that seismic
waves was felt in the city and this could have caused panic among the
residents.



When Express contacted the seismic observatory, they said that they
are currently studying the impact of Nepal earthquake on Chennai.
They, however, did not give out the locations as well as the intensity
of the seisimic wave felt across the city.





Sundaramoorthy, former director general of Geological Survey of India,
told Express that the city have felt the waves of the massive
earthquake in Nepal.



“Nepal lies in a seismic active zone 5. This zone passes from
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Northern Indian states, North Eastern
States, Andaman Nicobar Islands and Indonesia. However, the three
southern states don’t come under the zone as they are stable crete,”
he said.



“However, they will experience the waves as the quake was a huge one.
In Chennai, the shock was felt here and there,” he said.



“If the quake had taken place in the sea then we would have had
another tsunami,” the geologist said.