Four earthquakes jolt Marathwada in under two hours, cracks reported in houses

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Four earthquakes of 3.6 to 4.6 magnitude hit Marathwada in quick succession early Thursday, triggering panic across Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani and Latur. The epicentre was traced to Shirli village in Hingoli’s Basmath taluka, where at least four houses developed cracks, though no casualties were reported.

Authorities dismissed rumours of road damage and urged residents to rely only on official updates while following earthquake safety protocols.According to the Disaster Management Department, tremors measuring 4.6, 3.6, 3.9 and 4.1 on the Richter scale were recorded at 1.37am, 2.15am, 2.17am and 3.23am, respectively. Officials said the epicentre of all four quakes was located about 10km below the ground in Shirli village.While no casualties or major injuries were reported, the repeated tremors forced many residents to rush out of their homes in fear. Hingoli collector Rahul Gupta, who visited affected villages, said at least four houses in two villages developed wall cracks.“In case of more incidents of damage, people should immediately contact the local administration or district disaster management cell. We are carrying out panchanamas of affected houses,” Gupta said.

He added that earthquake preparedness in vulnerable villages would be strengthened using funds available under Centre’s 15th Finance Commission.Authorities dismissed unverified claims that roads had developed cracks due to the earthquakes.Meanwhile, several CCTV videos surfaced on social media showing shop shutters shaking during the tremors and stray dogs displaying signs of distress.District administrations across Marathwada appealed to residents not to believe rumours or unverified social media messages.

Officials urged people to rely only on information issued by district administrations, disaster management cells and official govt channels.The back-to-back tremors revived memories of the devastating 1993 Latur earthquake, although officials noted that such a sequence of earthquakes occurring within a short span is rare in the region.Nanded district disaster management officer Kishor Kurhe Patil advised residents to follow safety protocols during earthquakes.“If stuck indoors, people should take cover under a desk, table, bed, or doorways and must stay away from glass doors, glass panes, windows, or outside doors. If they have managed to escape outside, people must stay away from buildings and utility wires. Pets and cattle among other domestic animals must be freed so that they can run outside,” he said.