Five back-to-back earthquakes jolt J&K, Ladakh

The first earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale struck around 3.48 pm on Monday, with its epicentre being Zanskar, Kargil, followed by aftershocks

Five back-to-back earthquakes struck the UTs of Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir on Monday —— three in Zanskar and two in Kishtwar within an hour.

This 5.5 magnitude earthquake was followed by two aftershocks at 4.01 pm, with magnitudes 3.8 and 4.8 on the Richter Scale respectively. (HT Photo for representational purpose)

The first earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale struck around 3.48 pm on Monday, with its epicentre being Zanskar, Kargil, followed by aftershocks.

“We felt a jolt around 3.48 pm but there are no immediate reports of any loss of life or property,” said a police officer from the Kargil control room.

“Earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred around 15:48:53 IST(3.48 pm) with latitude 33.41 and longitude 76.70 at a depth of 10 km,” wrote the National Centre for Seismology on X.

This 5.5 magnitude earthquake was followed by two aftershocks at 4.01 pm, with magnitudes 3.8 and 4.8 on the Richter Scale respectively.

“Earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred around 16:01:30 IST (4.01 pm) with latitude 33.40 and longitude 76.58 at a depth of 10 km in Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir,” informed NCS on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).

Another quake of 3.8 magnitude was recorded at 16:01:32 IST (4.01 pm) at latitude 33.34 and longitude 76.78 at the same depth of 10 kms in Kargil area of Ladakh.

At 4.18 pm, one more quake with a magnitude of 3.6 occurred at 16:18:08 IST at latitude 33.37 and longitude 76.57at a depth of 10 km in Kishtwar area.

At 4.44 pm, another quake of magnitude 3.4 hit Zanskar, Kargil.

Kishtwar deputy magistrate Devansh Yadav said that there were no immediate reports of any loss of life or injuries.

Geologist and former head of the department of geology at University of Jammu GM Bhat said, “Tectonic activity in Kishtwar region keeps taking place and quakes of 3 to 4 or above 4 are being recorded for the past two to three months. They take place at a shallow depth.”

“Kargil region for the past few years is also witnessing quakes. If the three quakes in Kargil had their epicentre in Zanskar area then the belt (tectonic plate) that runs beneath Zanskar and Kishtwar region is the same,” Bhat added.

He also drew the attention towards another geological phenomenon in the form of sudden surge in hot spring waters in Chumathang area of Nyoma sub division in Ladakh for the past ten days and felt that tectonic activity might have caused the surge.

Chumathang in Ladakh is famous for its hot sulphur springs that bubble from the ground near the banks of the ice-cold Indus River.

There is a sudden rise in hot spring levels up to 2 to 3 metres in about the last 10 days of November this year, which otherwise normally rise up to average one feet level, throughout the year. Ladakh administration has sought the expertise of Geological Survey Of India and Wadia Institute to study the unusual geological phenomenon.

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh fall in seismic zones 4 and 5 makes the two regions prone to high intensity quakes.