Manipur earthquake: IIT experts to study building performance

Kolkata: A team of experts from IIT-Kanpur hosted National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) will be leaving for quake-hit Manipur to study the performance of built environment in the disaster, an official said.

"The NICEE will be conducting a field trip during the next few days. The primary objective of such reconnaissance visits it to study the performance of built environment. We usually travel to the affected areas after the initial phase of rescue and relief is over," Durgesh C. Rai Coordinator NICEE, IIT-Kanpur, told IANS on Wednesday.

Experts from IITs in Guwahati, Patna, Bhubaneswar will also be a part of the trip.

At least eight people were killed and 120 were injured when a 6.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Manipur and the north-eastern region on January 4.

The NICEE has noted: "Many recently constructed (reinforced concrete) RC and brick masonry buildings have collapsed in Imphal. There are also reports of damages to houses in rural areas as well."