Earthquake of 5.7 magnitude hits Jammu and Kashmir

Tribune News Service

IANS

New Delhi, February 4

An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale jolted Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, while no reports of any casualty or damage to property was received from anywhere so far.

A statement issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the moderate intensity temblor occurred at 9.45 a.m. and its coordinates are latitude 36.34 degrees north and longitude 71.05 degrees east.

The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, while its depth was 181 km inside the earth's crust.

Kashmir is seismologically situated on an earthquake prone region where temblors have wrought havoc in the past.

Over 80,000 people were killed on the two sides of the Line of Control (LoC) by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake on October 8, 2005.

The Prime Minsiter called the J&K LG to inquire about the situation in the state after the earthquake.

Minaret of famous Kashmir shrine tilted by earthquake

Earthquake led to the tilting of a minaret of the famous Sufi saint's shrine at Chrar-e-Sharief in Budgam district.

Management of the Sheikh Nuruddin Wali's shrine said that besides the tilting, there was no apparent damage to the main building which is now being inspected to detect internal damage.

Revered equally by the Muslims and local Pandits, the Sufi saint is called Nund Rishi by his Kashmiri Pandit devotees.

The shrine building was gutted on May 11, 1995 when a foreign terrorist, Mast Gul along with other terrorists converted it into a fortified bunker while being challenged by the security forces.

with IANS inputs

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