Akter MirZa , Dhaka – Three mild earthquakes struck the regions bordering eastern and northern Bangladesh within less than an hour on Monday morning.
The consecutive tremors, originating in neighboring India and Bhutan, have renewed concerns about the region’s growing vulnerability to seismic activity.
According to India’s official seismological agency, the first tremor occurred at 4:12 AM on Monday in Manipur, measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale with a focal depth of 59 kilometers.
Just five minutes later, at 4:17 AM, a shallow 3.0-magnitude earthquake hit the border area between Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan at a depth of only 7 kilometers.
The final tremor, a 2.9-magnitude quake, was recorded at 5:05 AM in the Indian state of Meghalaya, just north of Bangladesh’s Sunamganj district, originating 10 kilometers beneath the surface.
This rapid succession of tremors follows another mild 4.4-magnitude earthquake that shook Cox’s Bazar and parts of southeastern Bangladesh on Sunday night at around 9:45 PM.
Data from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) confirmed that the epicenter was located along the Cox’s Bazar-Myanmar border. Fortunately, no casualties or structural damages have been reported from any of these recent incidents.
A Rising Trend in Seismic Activity
The string of minor earthquakes has sparked fresh anxiety among residents and geologists alike, as Bangladesh has experienced multiple tremors over the past few weeks.
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June 22: A 4.4-magnitude earthquake centered near Rupganj in Narayanganj shook Dhaka, Gazipur, and surrounding areas.
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June 12: A 4.5-magnitude earthquake near the Sylhet-India border caused brief panic in the northeastern districts.
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June 7: A stronger 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Punakha, Bhutan. Due to its intensity, distinct vibrations were felt across various parts of Bangladesh, including the capital city of Dhaka.
While the recent tremors have been low to moderate in intensity and resulted in no immediate harm, experts suggest that the increasing frequency of these minor quakes highlights the active tectonic movements surrounding the Bengal Basin.