Caught on camera: Scary moment when 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit Telangana's Mulugu

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit Mulugu district in Telangana at 7:27 AM on Wednesday, shaking up the region and sending people rushing out of their homes. The earthquake’s tremors were felt across several districts, and many residents evacuated buildings in a panic.

Speaking to TOI, Mulugu Superintendent of Police Shabarish said no major damage had been reported. "Our police teams are patrolling and trying to figure out the impact, but so far, there is no damage," he explained.



The district forest officer, Rahul Jadhav, also mentioned that the tremor was short-lived, lasting only 6 to 10 seconds, and that the epicenter was located about 7 kilometers from an area that had already experienced tree falls during heavy rains. The Bhookamp app recorded the quake at a depth of 40 kilometers.

CCTV footage from Bhadrachalam and Mulugu showed the tremors in action. Although the earthquake didn’t cause immediate harm, the sudden vibrations caught many by surprise.

While earthquakes of this magnitude aren’t very common in Telangana, the region has experienced seismic activity before. In April 2020, a 4.8-magnitude earthquake occurred near Ramagundam.

Prakash Kumar, Director and Chief Seismologist at CSIR-NGRI, confirmed that the earthquake’s epicenter was in the Medaram region of Mulugu district. Speaking to TOI, he said, "The magnitude is around 5, as per local observations. The area falls within the Godavari rift zone, where seismic activity has been observed before. The magnitude is not significant enough to pose a serious threat to installations, though vibrations were felt across the region."

Interestingly, reports also mentioned that tremors were felt as far as Hyderabad, about 250 kilometers away, though the effects there were minor. "Even in Hyderabad, minor vibrations were felt," Kumar added.

Inputs from TOI