Panic grips Asom, Govt urge for calm

Guwahati, Sep 7 (UNI) Panic has gripped entire Asom following a ''pinpoint prediction'' of an earthquake hitting the state tomorrow morning, by a Madras University professor even as Asom Government debunked it, saying the claim was not backed by scientific evidence.

''The end of the world'' for Asom will be at 0821 hrs tomorrow, according to Prof N Venkatanathan of the Department of Applied Geology. The statement was issued at Banglaore yesterday.

The state government, leaving nothing to chance, has alerted all the districts. '' We have sent an SOS this morning to the Union Home Ministry seeking to know any scientific veracity towards such prediction. They informed that there was nothing, '' said senior Asom ministers Himanta Biswa Sharma and Ripun Bora.

There was complete chaos as the news was splashed all over in the morning newspapers. ''There is no scientific veracity to such claim. However, we are completely prepared, ''Mr Sharma said.

Market places were crowded and long queues before ATM were witnessed. Some disaster management camps run by the state government only corroborated the people's fear.

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