Mountainous belt of Jammu region jolts with four fresh earthquakes; five in last 12 hours [details]

Even as authorities are busy assessing losses of Tuesday's earthquake of a 5.4 magnitude in the Chenab region, Jammu province of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir jolted with four more tremours in a time of just five hours on early Wednesday morning.

Officials said there were no reports so far of any loss of life or damage to property.

Reports said that panic gripped residents of Katra town of Reasi district and the Kishtwar and Doda districts of the Chenab region.

• In the Kishtwar region of Jammu province, a 3.3 magnitude quake was recorded at 8.29 am. Its epicentre was at a depth of five kilometres, as per the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).
• Prior to that, tremors of magnitude 3.5 were recorded in Doda at 7.56 am and the epicentre was at a depth of 10 kilometres, data from the NCS showed.
• Two more earthquakes were recorded in the early hours of the day as well.
•  At 2.20 am, a 4.3 magnitude quake was recorded in the Doda district at a depth of 10 kilometres, as per the data.
• The other quake, which had a magnitude of 2.8, occurred 74 kilometres east of Katra in the Reasi district at 2.43 am, according to the NCS. Its epicentre lay at a depth of five kilometres.
• The four fresh earthquakes hit a day after high-intensity tremors jolted the Doda district.

Fear-stricken residents came out of their homes after the tremours and gathered in open fields. Doda district has recorded the fourth successive earthquake during the last 12 hours.

Experts worry over the repeated occurrence of earthquakes

The Indian Meteorological Department has notified most parts of Kashmir - covering the districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Budgam, Anantnag - and parts of Jammu region, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar as coming under Seismic Zone V, which is prone to earthquakes. While the rest of J&K comes under Seismic Zone IV.

As reported earlier, experts have already sounded alert and emphasized creating awareness among the masses in case of any eventuality.

Experts warned that repeated occurrence of earthquakes is a dangerous indication. There is a possibility of a big jolt in coming so we must be cautioned.

Although there were no reports of any loss of life and property every time an earthquake hits the Jammu region, geologists and disaster management experts are worried as a big earthquake is still a possibility in the Reasi fault line which has not witnessed a major quake in centuries. The enormous energy remained trapped in the earth.

An earthquake of a 5.4 magnitude jolts many parts of J&K on Tuesday

On Tuesday a 5.4 magnitude earthquake, with the epicenter near Doda, jolted Jammu and Kashmir even as the tremors have been reportedly felt in many other northern states.

The moderate earthquake caused partial damage to several residential houses, school buildings, shops, and government buildings including a hospital, etc. Slight tremors were also felt in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.

The earthquake forced the people in parts of the Union Territory to rush out of their homes in panic and caused damage to some buildings, officials said.

The tremors were felt across Delhi and other parts of north India, and in neighbouring Pakistan.
The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said the 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck the region at 1:33 pm. Its epicenter was in Doda. Tremors were also felt in Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, about 150 km from Doda.