Nurses shield newborns as Assam earthquake rocks hospital, video viral | Watch
Surveillance footage from the neonatal intensive care unit of Aditya Hospital in Nagaon showed two nurses shielding infants.
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Assam on Sunday, sending tremors across the state and sparking panic in many places. In Nagaon, however, two nurses at a local hospital became symbols of courage as they protected newborn babies during the quake.
Surveillance footage from the neonatal intensive care unit of Aditya Hospital in Nagaon showed two nurses shielding infants. The video has since gone viral on social media. HT, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the details.
The video shows one nurse holding on tightly to two infants, while another shields a baby nearby. The medical equipment and an oxygen cylinder shake visibly in the video.
The earthquake
The 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck parts of the Northeast and adjoining West Bengal on Sunday evening, followed by three aftershocks within one-and-a-half hours. The epicentre of the quake was in Udalguri district. Tremors were also felt in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan.
The Assam State Disaster Management (ASDMA) said two girls were injured in Udalguri due to the collapse of the ceiling of a hostel, and several houses were damaged in different parts of the state, according to PTI.
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Several houses were also damaged in Darrang and Nalbari districts. In the Hojai district, cracks developed on a building, it added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a two-day visit to the region, spoke to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and enquired about the earthquake after arriving in Kolkata. He also assured the state of all necessary support from the Centre.
Sarma said that the situation was under control and disaster management teams were on site, assessing the extent of the damage caused by the quakes.
Assam is prone to earthquakes, situated in one of India’s most seismically active regions. The NCS classifies the area as 'very active' in terms of seismic activity, linked to Hazard Zone V, which is characterised by collisional tectonics as the Indian plate subducts beneath the Eurasian Plate.
