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© The HinduTremor hit villagers of Puttamgandi tanda in Nalgonda district. Photo: Singam Venkataramana
Mild tremors, lasting two to three seconds, enough to result in the walls of a few houses developing cracks, occurred in over ten villages and Girijan areas of Piyepalli mandal, about 100 km from here, in the small hours of Thursday.

The villages are surrounded by hills. The Puttangandi irrigation project, which is also a source of drinking water, is nearby.

Several residents of Vaddipatla, Puttangandi , Duggyala and thandas of Nakkalapenta, Chintala, Palugu told The Hindu that upon hearing thunder-like sounds ('urumulu') at around 00.20 hours, they rushed out of their houses and took shelter in the open ground abutting their dwellings. They did not sleep and waited in bated breath outside.

Giddy feeling

Some said they felt giddy. Walls of some houses like that of Koppula Bikshamaiah and Lakshamamma of Vaddipatla developed cracks, as also those of Lakpathi Naik, S. Naik and Somla of Puttangandi thanda. There are about 120 houses in Puttangandi of which over 20 developed cracks.