4.5-Magnitude Offshore Quake Felt in Vizag

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Bay of Bengal in the early hours of Sunday, sending mild tremors across several parts of Visakhapatnam. The tremors, which lasted only a few seconds, caused brief concern among residents. However, no loss of life or damage to property was reported.

According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred at 5.05 am IST at a depth of 10 km. The epicentre was located at latitude 16.805° N and longitude 84.381° E, about 227 km east of Kakinada and 275 km east of Rajamahendravaram, placing it well offshore in the Bay of Bengal. The seismic event has since been classified as “Reviewed” by the agency.

The earthquake was also recorded about 282 km south of Berhampur and 367 km south-southwest of Puri in Odisha, and 355 km southeast of Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

Residents in Visakhapatnam reported feeling mild tremors in several neighbourhoods, including MVP Colony, Pedawaltair, Gajuwaka, Yendada, and Arilova. Several people took to social media platforms, including X and Reddit, to confirm they had experienced the tremors, with many describing a brief swaying of buildings and household objects around 5 am.

Officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties, injuries, or structural damage. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, while the NCS is analysing the seismic event. As the epicentre was located well offshore in the Bay of Bengal, the earthquake did not pose any immediate threat to coastal areas.