Mahesana (Gujarat): A 4.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Mahesana district, Gujarat, on the night of November 16, according to the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR). The tremor occurred at 10:15 p.m., with its epicenter located 13 kilometers south-southwest of Patan.
Residents felt the shaking and evacuated their homes, but officials from the state control room in Gandhinagar reported no casualties or property damage. The earthquake’s coordinates are approximately 23.71 N latitude and 72.30 E longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometers, placing it about 219 kilometers northeast of Rajkot.
Tremors were felt for two to three seconds across northern districts including Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, and Mehsana. Gujarat has a history of significant seismic activity, having experienced nine major earthquakes in the last 200 years, including the devastating Kutch earthquake on January 26, 2001. This earthquake was particularly catastrophic, causing nearly 13,800 fatalities and injuring around 167,000 people. Earlier in November, a 3.4 magnitude quake occurred in Kutch, and another of 3.7 magnitude was reported in Amreli, with no injuries or damage in those instances either. The state remains highly susceptible to earthquakes, which is a persistent risk for the region.