Thiruvananthapuram/Wayanad/Kozhikode: The Met Centre, under the India Meteorological Department, has contacted the National Centre for Seismology, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, after reports emerged of an earthquake in parts of Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. The two north Kerala districts recently witnessed devastating landslides that killed over 400 people and left many homeless.   

The NCS maintains a National Seismological Network of 160 stations across the country, each having state-of-the-art equipment.

While evacuation is underway at some of the wards at Nenmeni gram panchayat, Wayanad, the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) earlier issued an update saying that there was no indication of any movement according to seismic records. ''Regarding the sound heard in Wayanad's Pozhuthana region, we are examining seismic records and also attempting local reconnaissance to find if anything is anomalous,'' SEOC stated.

As per initial reports, people in the area communicated of tremors being experienced in areas around Kurichiarmala, Pinangodemoorikap, Ambukuthimala, and Edakkal caves. Vythiri revenue authorities have reportedly asked the residents to temporarily vacate the area. Village officers have been asked to report to the site and monitor further developments. Panchayat representatives said that they were told about a loud sound being heard. 

Tremors were also felt at different parts of Koodaranji grama panchayat, Kozhikode. Koodaranji, Karattupara and Karinkutti residents said they felt tremors around 10 am. Tremors were felt at Manassery, near Mukkom, a resident said.

According to Sajeesh Jan P, assistant professor at the Department of Agricultural Meteorology, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ambalavayal, many of the employees had alerted the office about a creaky sound and vehicles parked on the campus started sounding alarms. “We also felt a vibration and heard a sound,'' he said. 

Sajeesh said that a whistling sound was heard at Edakkal 19, near the Edakkal Caves, on the lap of Ambukuthi HIlls.