Indian and Eurasian plates threaten serious quake

The Bangladesh, India and Nepal region has a history of powerful earthquakes caused by the northward collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. They are moving towards each other at a rate of 4-5cm per year. The Dhaka University's geology teacher and Earth Observatory caretaker Syed HumayunAkhter says earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, the creation of hills and mountains are caused by the movement of crust-forming plates, according to the media report. Nearly 70 to 100 km of the upper crust of the Earth, called the lithosphere, consists of moving plates divided into 13 parts. The meeting point of the Indian and the Eurasian plates lies to the north of Bangladesh; the Burmese and the Indian plates meet to the east of the country. And since the plates are in motion, the Bangladesh landmass is also shifting, he says.  Akhter says Dhaka, the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Netrokona, and Dinajpur are especially susceptible to earthquakes.  Due to the Indian and the Eurasian plates' movement character, the people in the fault-line area live in panic. Manipur quake: On Sunday an earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude hadstruck at 04:35 Indian local time about 29km  north-west ofImphal, the capital of Manipur state of India,  near its borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, killing at least eleven people,  according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).Strong tremors have been felt across the region. The earthquake was originally reported to have the 6.8 magnitude of power. India's Meteorological Department said it struck at a depth of 17km.
Shockwaves were felt in Nepal and as far away as Myanmar city of Yangon, about 1,175 km to the south. Bangladesh also received tremor. Three people were reported dead while dozens sustained wound being panic stricken by the massive jolt and were being treated in hospitals.  Panic gripped residents of Dhaka and some other cities came out of their houses on to the streets.
The tremors were also felt as far away as Kolkata some 600km distant from the epicenter.  Northeast Afghanistan earthquake: Last December, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake had struck northeast Afghanistan near the country's borders with Pakistan and Tajikistan, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), with tremors being felt as far as in New Delhi. The USGS initially reported that it was a 6.4 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 203km and centred 82km southeast of the town of Feyzabad, capital of the Afghan province of Badakhshan.
Tremors were reported from Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jaipur, Delhi region in India. In Pakistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government issued a red alert soon after the earthquake. Pakistan-administered Kashmirearthquake : On October 8, 2005, a disastrous earthquake occurred in the Pakistan-administered portion of the Kashmir region and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan. It also affected adjacent parts of India and Afghanistan.  At least 79,000 people were killed and more than 32,000 buildings collapsed in Kashmir, with additional fatalities and destruction reported in India and Afghanistan, making it one of the most destructive earthquakes of contemporary times.
Measured at a magnitude of 7.6 (slightly less than that of the 1906 San Francisco quake), the earthquake caused major destruction in northern Pakistan, northern India, and Afghanistan, an area that lies on an active fault caused by the northward tectonic drift of the Indian subcontinent.  Nepal earthquake: On April25, 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central Nepal, killing over 8000 people, and injuring thousands more. The earthquake was followed by a large number of aftershocks, including one that measured 7.3 on 12 May. Among the worst-hit districts was Sindhupalchok - where more than 2,000 died. In the capital, Kathmandu, more than 1,000 perished. Thousands more were badly injured by falling debris caused by the quake or powerful aftershocks that rocked the region. The Mount Everest was also struck by deadly avalanches due to the quake on 25 April. Many of the country's historic sites have been severely damaged, including temples and monuments.
Analysis of satellite imagery captured before and after the devastating quake reveals that more than 180 buildings in the densely populated Kathmandu city centre were destroyed. At least four out of seven Unesco World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu valley - three of them ancient city squares - were badly affected. Bangladesh situation: Bangladesh runs the risk of being hit by severe earthquakes with the Dauki fault inSylhet, and the Modhupur fault in Tangail, still active.
And, as there is means to predict and prevent earthquakes, awareness and preparations are vital to minimize losses, say experts. But government officials and experts caution against panic and stress preparedness to cope with earthquakes and their aftermath coupled with awareness about the do's and don'ts in the event of tremors.
The Dhaka University's teacher of geology ASM Woobaidullah told media there had been instances of powerful quakes in Sylhet, in 1918, and later in the Sirajganj-Bogra region. But no recent earthquake had its epicentre in Bangladesh.
He said the Manipur fault, besides the Dauki and Modhupur faults in Bangladesh, is quite active. These places often experience mild to medium tremors that do not find media mention. "It is true that we are at risk. But there is no point panicking over this. The creation of awareness and the maintenance of preparedness are vital tasks. There must be joint efforts in this direction at the government and private levels," he said.
Prof Woobaidullah said: "Earthquakes will keep occurring. Consternation should not be created among the people regarding them. Instead, they should be equipped to rescue those who survive a disaster." A UNDP Comprehensive Disaster Management Program report in 2009 said there were 325,000 houses in Dhaka then. Nearly 40 percent of them were hazardous, while 35 percent were of 'medium' grade.