5.7-Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar: A moderate earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale struck the Ladakh region on Monday, with tremors felt across Ladakh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the local Meteorological Department, the quake occurred at 11:51 am, with its epicentre located in the Leh area of Ladakh. He said the earthquake struck at a latitude of 36.71 degrees north and a longitude of 74.32 degrees east, originating at a depth of about 171 km inside the Earth’s crust.

Residents across Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir experienced the tremors with varying intensity. However, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property.

Officials noted that large parts of Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley fall within seismically sensitive zones, making such tremors a recurring concern.

The region has witnessed devastating earthquakes in the past, including the October 8, 2005 quake of magnitude 7.6, which had its epicentre in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. That earthquake caused widespread destruction in Pakistan and affected parts of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in heavy loss of life and property across the region.

— IANS