Tremors were experienced in Karnataka’s Hassan district as a mild earthquake hit the area in the early hours of Thursday, June 23. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 3.4 on the Richter scale, had its epicentre near Malagunahalli village in Holenarasipura taluk, as per the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).

“As per the Seismic Intensity map of the said Earthquake from the Epicentre, the intensity observed is moderate and the tremor might be felt up to a maximum radial distance of 40-50 kms from the epicentre,” the KSNDMC said in a statement. It added that there was no harm to the local community due to the earthquake. “As the epicentre falls in Seismic Zone II, the chances of occurrence of earthquakes is very less and the possibility of damage is low. As the region is void of any structural discontinuities as per the Tectonic map, the community need not panic as the intensity observed is moderate and not destructive,” the KSNDMC said.

This is not the first time that mild earthquakes have been reported in Karnataka. In January this year, tremors measuring 2.9 magnitude on the Richter scale were observed in Vijaypura district in north Karnataka on January 30. According to KSNDMC, this type of earthquake does not create any harm to the local community, although there may be slight shaking observed locally.

Earlier in October 2021, a team of geologists and other scientists visited Vijayapura after the district was hit by a series of tremors. The people of the district had experienced tremors seven times over the period of one month. Although no loss of life or damage to property was reported, the continuous mild quakes had triggered fear and panic among the residents.

Another mild-intensity earthquake was reported in Chikkaballapura district on January 5 this year, with a magnitude of 2.7. While there was no serious damage or loss, it triggered panic among residents, many of whom spent the night outside their houses in fear.