It was 6.9 on the Richter scale: IMD

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 26. The India Meteorological Department this evening maintained that the magnitude of the earthquake that hit Bhuj in Gujarat in the morning was 6.9 on the Richter scale and not higher as reported by agencies in the U.S., China and France.

A spokesperson of the department said their measurement was based on data collected by a local network of seismic stations, and thus more accurate than those of stations elsewhere. An U.S. agency had put the magnitude at 7.9, while the official agency of China reported a magnitude of 7.8 and that of France 7.6.

Dr. S.K. Srivastava, Additional Director General of IMD, also explained that earthquakes were not unusual for the area around Bhuj as it was on the edge of the Indian geological plate and fell under zone V, or the most seismic-prone area.

The last biggest earthquake to hit India was also in that area. It had a magnitude of 7 and took place on July 21, 1956. The quakes of Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Latur, and Jabalpur, which had caused immense damage in recent years, were all of smaller magnitude at 6.8, 6.6, 6.3 and 6 respectively.

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