Series of earthquakes shook the world on Wednesday

USA -  The U.S. Geological Survey  in Oklahoma on Wednesday recorded an earthquake of 2.5 magnitude at 7:49 am local time. The epicentre was about 4 miles north of Spencer in Oklahoma County. Just a day earlier Oklahoma was rattled by seven earthquakes, of which the largest was of 3.6 magnitude. During the past seven days, Oklahoma has recorded 29 earthquakes. Thanks to the adequate safety measures, no damage was reported.

Iran - A moderate (Magnitude 5.4 on the Richter Scale) earthquake hit Southern Iran on Wednesday, 21^st May. The quake was felt in Bushehr and Shiraz area. Two fore shocks of magnitude 3.1 and 3.3, happened an hour earlier. Till now there is no report, but damage is expected as most of the buildings in rural areas of Iran, like parts of Bushehr province, are not earthquake resistant. The quake struck at 14:16 local time and at 09:46 GMT/UTC Time. An earthquake of similar magnitude hit Hormozgan province in January which had caused major damage, 1 person had died and 30 others were injured.

China - A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Taiwan on  Wednesday, 21^st May, shaking buildings in the capital and injuring three schoolchildren. The quake struck at 8.21 am local time, with its epicentre 33.3 kilometres southwest of the eastern city of Hualien, at a depth of 18 kilometers. The quake, compounded by heavy rain for several days, also triggered landslides which disrupted traffic on four highways.

Australia – A magnitude 3 earthquake struck Gippsland yesterday morning. Geosciences Australia confirmed that the tremor occurred at 8.53 am and was centered in the Lake Wellington area about 30 km east of Sale. The quake could be felt 25 km from its epicenter. The State Emergency Service has not yet reported any damage to life and property. Seismologists say aftershocks were felt but they are likely to be less severe. Scientists from the University of Melbourne have previously marked Gippsland as an Australian earthquake hotspot.

Bangladesh –  A moderate earthquake (5 on the Richter scale) was felt in Dhaka, Chittagong and several other parts of Bangladesh when people were preparing to go to bed. The Meteorological Department said the tremor was felt around 10:20 pm on Wednesday. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

India - An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hit the Bay of Bengal region on Wednesday night. The epicenter was 10 km below sea level, but there was no tsunami alert, confirmed officials from the Indian tsunami warning center in Hyderabad. The quake struck at 9:51 pm, about 275 km south east of the Paradip port in Odisha. Tremors were felt across Delhi/NCR, Chennai, Kolkata and Odisha. In Delhi, many residents said that aftershocks lasted for 40 seconds. Whereas in Odisha, because seventeen of the 30 districts, either fully or partly, fall in the Earthquake Vulnerable Zone III, saw some damage. About 50 people were also reported to be injured.

According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, two of the strongest earthquakes in India reported in recent times have been in Gujarat and Kashmir in 2001 and 2005 respectively. The Gujarat earthquake measured 7.7 on the Richter scale, while in Kashmir it was reported to be 7.5.