3.0 magnitude earthquake hits Himachal Pradesh's Chamba
Chamba, August 14
An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 struck Chamba in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, reported the National Centre of Seismology.
The earthquake hit the district at 06:36 am.
Sharing the details on its website, the NCS said, "M: 3.0 - Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, Origin Time: 2026-08-14 06:36:28 IST, Latitude: 33.131, Longitude: 76.585, Depth: 5 km."
In a post on X, NCS said: "EQ of M: 3.0, On: 14/08/2026 06:36:28 IST, Lat: 33.131 N, Long: 76.585 E, Depth: 5 Km, Location: Chamba, Himachal Pradesh."
Earthquakes can occur anywhere between the Earth's surface and about 700 kilometres below the surface. For scientific purposes, the earthquake depth range of 0 700 km is divided into three zones: shallow, intermediate, and deep, as per USGS data.
Shallow earthquakes are between 0 and 70 km deep; intermediate earthquakes, 70 -300 km deep; and deep earthquakes, 300 - 700 km deep. In general, the term "deep-focus earthquakes" is applied to earthquakes deeper than 70 km, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) states.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Glad it was just 3.0 and no damage reported. These early morning tremors are scary though. My relatives are in Dharamshala, close by, and they felt it slightly. Just a reminder that we live in a seismically active zone and should always have emergency plans ready.
NCS is doing a great job with real-time updates. A 3.0 is nothing to worry about for the most part, but it's a good reminder that we need stricter building codes in the Himalayas. We've seen what bigger quakes can do in Uttarakhand and Nepal.
Chamba is no stranger to this, being in Zone IV/V. Minor shakes like these are almost routine. Feels strange to see it as news, but okay, it's about awareness. Nothing to panic about. Jai Himachal!
Interesting how early morning earthquakes create such a buzz. Good to know the NCS data is so detailed. Those of us in the West are used to California quakes, but 3.0s are barely noticeable there. Still, respect to the locals who live with this uncertainty.
My parents live in Chamba, and they called me immediately at 6:40 am 😅. They said it was just a brief jolt, nothing fell off the shelves. But honestly, with the monsoon and landslides this time of year, let's hope the stability holds. 🙏
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