Tremor centered near Dhing village triggers strong shaking; USGS says impact likely limited in seismically active Himalayan region.
A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 struck India’s northeastern state of Assam early Monday, near the border with Bhutan.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the shallow quake occurred at 4:17 a.m. local time (2:47 a.m. UAE time Sunday), with its epicenter located just three kilometers outside the village of Dhing in the Nagaon district. The tremor was felt across parts of Assam and neighboring regions.
The USGS reported strong shaking in the immediate area but indicated that a limited population was likely to have been significantly affected due to the rural location of the epicenter. Initial reports did not indicate major damage or casualties, though local authorities are assessing the situation.
The Himalayan region, where Assam is located, is one of the world’s most seismically active zones due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. It has experienced some of India’s most devastating earthquakes in history, including a 1950 temblor that claimed around 4,800 lives in Assam and Tibet, and the Great Assam Earthquake of 1897—one of the most powerful ever recorded in India.
Earthquakes of this magnitude are not uncommon in the region, which records frequent seismic activity ranging from minor tremors to major quakes. Authorities and disaster management teams in Assam are accustomed to responding to such events, though preparedness remains a priority given the region’s history of destructive earthquakes.
Further updates are awaited as local officials conduct surveys in the affected areas.
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