Mild ‘tremors' lasting between 20 and 40 seconds were felt in some parts of the city on Wednesday. While residents and workers rushed out of their homes and workplaces, no damage or casualty was reported. Residents reported that almost all mobile networks to Chennai were jammed when they tried to get in touch with their relatives. In recent memory, this is the first time Madurai experienced tremors. In the 1980s, tremors were felt around Theni, which was part of Madurai district.
T. Bhuvaneshwari, a Senior Executive in Shriram Transport Finance Company located at Area Tower in Kalavasal, said that while at first she felt a slight shaking experience, she did not think much of it. Only later, she said, every one realised what had happened as almost the entire Bypass Road felt the “shaky experience in multi-level buildings.”
As a result, most of the establishments closed down early for the day.
Sri Adith, a 13-year-old boy studying in standard VII and resident of Velmurugan Nagar, said, “I was reading on the bed when it suddenly began to shake a little at first and then it began to accelerate suddenly. Initially, I thought somebody was shaking it and pulling a prank. Only later I realised what was going on and I immediately came out of the house.”
G. Kannan, working at Tamil Nadu Housing Board office, Ellis Nagar, said that sometime after 2 p.m. every thing in the second-floor office began to shake slightly and continued to do so for 20 to 30 seconds. Only after it stopped, everyone realised what had happened and evacuated the building.
D. Mohandass, an Office Assistant at Labour Office, said that suddenly the water bottle rolled down from the table and books began to fall down from wooden rakes. First, no one knew what was happening and everyone panicked a bit. All workers rushed out of the office and consulted the Commissioner's Office at Chennai, where they too had felt the tremors.
S. Subathra Devi, a resident of Nehru Nagar near Bypass Road, said that when she was having lunch, she felt a little shake. “At first, I thought I am not feeling well. Only when others in the house began to say they were also feeling it, I looked out and saw that everyone in our street was standing out.”
Though they re-entered the house after an hour, she said that they were still apprehensive.
At TNSTC
At the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation head office situated on the Bypass Road, staff, who were working on computer monitors, said that for about 30 to 40 seconds they experienced some kind of jerk. The tables moved suddenly and instantly they vacated the place rushing down to the ground floor. The tremors were felt in offices on West Veli Street also.
When contacted, Madurai District Collector U. Sagayam said that a team of revenue officials headed by South Tahsildar visited different locations in the city and peripheries.
