January 3, 2017 Earthquake: Ambasa, Bangladesh, India

Belonia, Tripura, India - CDI: 6; Ambassa, Tripura, India - CDI: 6; Maulvi Bazar, Maulvi Bāzār, Bangladesh - CDI: 5; Ranirbazar NP, Tripura, India - CDI: 5; Kailasahar, Tripura, India - CDI: 5 (reference #13456)

An elderly man in Sunamganj and a young girl died on Tuesday afternoon as direct victims of the 5.5 scale earthquake. Our Sunamganj correspondent Himadri Shekor Vodro reported that Hiron Mia, 60, died of cardiac arrest brought on by sheer terror at his home in Hashampur village, under Jagannathpur upazila's Patli union. Saima Akhter, an eighth grader at Chhatak Cement Factory School suffered lethal injuries after falling down a flight of stairs when the quake hit. She was admitted to the upazila health complex where doctors pronounced her dead. In Sylhet metropolis, at least three people sustained minor injuries during stampede in different parts of city when the earthquake began, reports Mohammed Serajul Islam, the Dhaka Tribune's Sylhet correspondent. (reference #11727)

While the tremor was felt strongly in Tripura, reports of the quake being felt have also come in from Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and southern Assam. Sources in Agartala said that as many as 60 houses were reportedly damaged in Dhalai. The number of properties damaged is likely to go up after detailed reports are available. One bridge also developed cracks in Dhalai district, reports said. (reference #11728)

A woman was killed and some others were injured in Tripura when a 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit India's northeastern region and Bangladesh on Tuesday. There was no report of any major damage from other states, officials said. Kamalini Kanda, 50, died of heart attack out of fear during the tremor at Kamalpur in Dhalai district in Tripura, an official of the Tripura Disaster Management Centre said. Five other people were injured in different parts of the state during the quake. (reference #12080)

Reports of earthquake casualties (TDMA, 2017) included one death owing to a heart attack after the earthquake and many injuries due to the collapse of walls and fear due to the shaking. Although the main shock was felt in all the parts of Tripura, the casualties were maximum near the epicenter (Dhalai and Unokoti district of Tripura). According to TDMA (2017) report, one woman died in the Mayachari Gaon panchayet under Kamalpur Subdivision, and many were injured due to this earthquake. In the Unokoti district adjacent to the epicenter, many people were injured due to the earthquake. Moreover, the tremor killed two people and left many people injured in Bangladesh (“Tremor panic kills 2 in Sunamganj,“ 2017). In the Sunamganj district of Bangladesh, one person died due to heart attack after the earthquake, whereas in the Sylhet district, one schoolgirl died after falling down a flight of stairs when the earthquake hit. [...] The shocks of the earthquake damaged and destroyed many infrastructure objects, especially in the Dhalai, Unakoti, and Sepahijala districts of Tripura. According to TDMA (2017) report, 5,200 houses were partially damaged, 1,450 houses were severely damaged, and about 42 houses were fully damaged. Fractures and cracks were developed in the walls of almost all the houses in the epicenter area. There were reported cases of damage to public property like Kamalpur Sub-division office, hospital building, and a few police stations. Mostly mud houses were damaged severely, and reinforced concrete frames with masonry infill houses and buildings also suffered severe damage. Cracks were developed in the roads and bridges of the Dhalai district. (reference #13128)