Assam Records 25 Earthquakes in May 2026, Highest in India: NCS Report

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: A magnitude 5.8 earthquake on Sunday night, with its epicentre in Bhutan, not only shook Bhutan but also a few other NE states, including Assam, which shares an international border with the Himalayan Kingdom. Residents in Guwahati and other parts of the state got alarmed when the quake struck at around 11.06 PM last night, as people were getting ready to go to bed.

It has also emerged that a total of 25 earthquakes occurred within Assam’s territory in the month of May 2026. This was the highest number of quakes in any state in India during the month. Regarding the Bhutan earthquake on Sunday night, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) in New Delhi today issued a preliminary report.

According to the report, “An earthquake of magnitude Mw 5.8 occurred on June 7, 2026, at 23:06:43 IST, with its epicentre located at 27.627°N, 89.660°E, at a focal depth of 26 km. The epicentre lies approximately 18 km north of Thimphu, 120 km ENE of Gangtok, 247 km NW of Guwahati, 307 km NW of Shillong, and 581 km NNE of Kolkata. Waveform inversion indicates a pure thrust faulting mechanism on a north-dipping plane (dip ~ 21°). The solution suggests that the Main Himalayan Thrust system, particularly its splay near the Main Central Thrust (MCT), acted as the rupture plane.”

The report also states that the tectonic setting reflects the ongoing India-Eurasia collision, with Bhutan lying on the locked segment of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) where convergence rates of ~15-20 mm/yr are observed. The shallow depth and thrust mechanism are consistent with historical Bhutan earthquakes, such as the 2009 Mw 6.1 Mongar event.

“Felt reports indicate maximum intensity VII (MMI scale) in the epicentral region and minimum intensity II (MMI scale) up to 500 km away. The earthquake was widely felt across neighbouring regions of India, including Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and also in Bangladesh. This event underscores the persistent seismic hazard in the Bhutan Himalayas, where strain accumulation along the MHT and its splays continues to pose significant risk of moderate to large earthquakes,” the report further said.

In a separate report issued by NCS, it is stated that a total of 125 earthquakes occurred within Indian territory during May 2026, out of which 25 earthquakes occurred in Assam, 19 in Maharashtra, 17 in Arunachal Pradesh and 11 in Manipur. Out of 125 earthquakes, 14 and 69 earthquakes occurred in the North and Northeast regions, respectively.

Other than Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, 8 earthquakes occurred in Nagaland, 6 in Meghalaya and 2 in Mizoram in the NE region during May 2026.

Also Read: Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake in Manipur Jolts Northeast India and Bangladesh, NCS Reports Widespread Tremors