Mild Quake strikes Andhra’s Alluri Sitharama Raju, tremors felt in Vizag

A mild earthquake of magnitude 4.0 was recorded in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Tuesday, with tremors felt across several areas of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, including Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam districts.

According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), the earthquake occurred at around 4:19 a.m. at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre located at latitude 18.02°N and longitude 82.58°E. It was stated that the event was initially reported as magnitude 3.7, but later confirmed to be 4.0 on the Richter scale.

District authorities and disaster management teams were said to have been alerted immediately after the tremor was recorded. Local officials confirmed that monitoring systems were activated, and that no abnormal readings were detected following the event. Residents in parts of

Visakhapatnam city and nearby rural areas reported having felt mild shaking for a few seconds during the early morning hours. An official from the APSDMA stated that the situation was under control and there was no cause for concern, adding that public awareness messages were being circulated to discourage unnecessary panic.

Tremor in Karnataka Also Felt in Andhra

On the same morning, a separate mild earthquake of magnitude 3.1 was recorded in the Vijayapura district of neighbouring Karnataka. Officials confirmed that light tremors from that event were also felt in a few border areas of Andhra Pradesh, although no impact or damage was reported.

The APSDMA indicated that both events were unrelated and occurred as isolated minor tremors within their respective regional fault zones.

Earlier Seismic Events in Andhra Pradesh

The state of Andhra Pradesh has experienced a series of low to moderate seismic events in recent years, most of which have been mild in intensity and without damage.

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck Mulugu district in neighbouring Telangana on December 4, 2024, was felt across several districts of Andhra Pradesh, including Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Guntur, and parts of the NTR district. Residents reported mild to moderate shaking during that event, which lasted a few seconds but caused no major damage.

Earlier, on September 27, 2023, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake had been recorded in the Vizianagaram district, while a magnitude 4.1 quake was detected in the Bay of Bengal off the Andhra coast on March 27, 2022. Similarly, on March 23, 2020, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake occurred near Salur in Vizianagaram district, though it too resulted in no significant impact.

These occurrences have been periodically recorded by seismological observatories and APSDMA’s regional monitoring network, which continues to track micro-seismic movements across the state.

Low-to-Moderate Seismic Zone

Experts have noted that Andhra Pradesh lies largely in Seismic Zones II and III, as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) seismic zoning map, indicating a low-to-moderate risk of earthquakes.

It has been explained that the Eastern Ghats region and adjoining coastal plains occasionally experience minor tremors due to crustal adjustments and tectonic movements. Occasional tremors are also said to be caused by offshore seismic activity in the Bay of Bengal.

Seismologists have observed that the North Coastal districts — including Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam — are situated close to minor fault lines that can generate low-magnitude earthquakes, though they pose no major risk to life or infrastructure.

According to geological experts, high-magnitude earthquakes are rare in Andhra Pradesh, and the mild tremors felt occasionally are often aftereffects of seismic activity in neighbouring regions, particularly Telangana or the Bay of Bengal basin.

Precautionary Measures and Public Advisory

Following Tuesday’s tremor, field teams of APSDMA and district authorities were placed on precautionary alert. No unusual activity was reported from any part of the affected districts.

Residents were advised to remain calm and to follow standard safety measures during any future tremors, such as staying away from unstable structures and avoiding panic during shaking. The State Disaster Management Authority confirmed that public infrastructure and essential services remained fully functional across all districts.

Continuous monitoring of seismic activity was said to be underway, and technical updates were expected to be provided to the public if any further movements were detected.

Monitoring to Continue

Officials said that the situation across the state remained normal, and no secondary tremors had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon. Regular observation through seismic monitoring stations was said to be continuing.

The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority reiterated that the public need not worry, as the tremor was minor in nature and well within normal seismic parameters for the region.