Chikkaballapur, (Karnataka) Jan 13 (IANS): The people of Chikkaballapur district, located 70 kilometers away from Bengaluru, yet again experienced earthquake-like tremors in the wee hours of Thursday.

The jolts were experienced in Bullasandra, Kambalahalli and surrounding villages in Gudibande taluk of the district.

According to the villagers, the mild tremors continued for five minutes during which the people ran out in the open. The tremors, they said, led to cracks on walls of the houses.

The people are panicking as they have experienced tremors multiple times in the last one month. Gudibande Tehsildar Sibgath Ulla has visited the villages and taken stock of the situation.

Earlier, the tremors were felt in Shettigere, Addagal, Benniganahalli, Gollahalli, Bogaparti villages on January 5 forcing the people to run out of their houses.

In the recent past, the people of the region have experienced three such jolts wherein the ground shook and things kept in the shelves at houses fell down.

District-in-Charge Minister K. Sudhakar visited the villages on January 8 along with senior experts from the State Natural Disaster Management Center to Shettigere and Bandahalli villages. He had told people that they need not panic because of minor quakes in the district.

The region which has not received copious rainfall since many decades has received record rains during this year. The underground water is being recharged and during this process there will be sounds of explosions and experiences of mild earthquakes have been felt, Sudhakar had explained. "There is very less chances of an earthquake in the region as per the expert opinion," he maintained.

The people have suspected that illegal mining in the region is the reason behind frequent earth tremors. Sudhakar has also directed authorities to initiate action against illegal mining and monitor blasts at licensed mining sites.