Mild tremors that occurred at around 11.45 a.m. on Saturday created panic among residents at several places in Andhra Pradesh, forcing many to rush out of their houses in the open. However, no reports of damage to property or casualties were received.
In Krishna district, residents of Gollapudi and surrounding areas felt the tremors for couple of seconds. In East Godavari too, customers at a shopping complex in Amalapuram ran for safety after the chairs and the furniture started shaking.
Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister N. Chinna Rajappa who was on his way to Rajahmundry to attend a few programmes, asked his driver to stop his car. “I felt a little giddy and thought my blood pressure had gone down. I saw people rushing out of a shopping complex. When I enquired, I came to know that there were mild tremors in Amalapuram and Rajahmundry in the district,” he said.
Along the coast
In Srikakulam, tremors were felt in several areas particularly all along the 174 km sea coast. Tremors were felt in Gara, Polaki, Srikurmam, Kalingapatnam, Srikakulam and Ranasthalam and Pydibhimavaram among other places. Residents of Srikakulam town rushed out of their houses after experiencing tremors for more than four seconds in Visakha-A Colony, Bankers’ Colony and other places. “Furniture and utensils moved suddenly. We immediately rushed out of our homes,” said K. Durga of Visakha-A Colony. In Visakhapatnam, residents of Muralinagar, Akkayyapalem, Seetammadhara north extension and port area in the city, and those in some areas in Bheemunipatnam said tremors were felt.