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5.7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Ladakh, Tremors Felt Across Jammu & Kashmir

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck with its epicentre in the Leh area of Ladakh, sending tremors across Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. The local MET Department confirmed the quake occurred at a depth of 171 km inside the Earth's crust. Fortunately, there have been no initial reports of any casualties or property damage from the affected regions. The area is historically sensitive, having been devastated by a massive 7.6 magnitude quake in 2005 that caused widespread death and destruction in Pakistan and India.

Key Points: 5.7 Earthquake Hits Ladakh, Tremors in J&K | No Damage Reported

  • 5.7 magnitude quake hits Leh, Ladakh
  • Tremors felt across Ladakh and J&K
  • No reports of casualties or damage
  • Region is seismologically sensitive
2 min read

5.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Ladakh & J&K

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake with epicentre in Leh, Ladakh, shook the region. Tremors felt in J&K. No casualties reported. Details inside.

"An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale occurred at 11.51 am today with the epicentre in the Leh area - Mukhtar Ahmad"

Srinagar, Jan 19

An earthquake, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, occurred on Monday with the epicentre in the Leh area of the Ladakh region and the shocks were felt in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir with varying intensity.

Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the local MET Department, told IANS, "An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale occurred at 11.51 am today with the epicentre in the Leh area of the Ladakh region. "The coordinates of the earthquake were latitude 36.71 north and longitude 74.32 east. It occurred 171 Kms inside the Earth's crust."

The tremors of the earthquake were felt in varying degrees in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

So far, no reports of any casualties or property damage have been reported from anywhere.

Parts of the Ladakh region and the Valley are located in seismologically sensitive areas.

On October 8, 2005, an earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, occurred at occurred at 8.50 a.m. with epicentre in Muzaffarabad town of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Besides razing the entire Muzaffarabad town to rubble, it had also affected nearby Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and some areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

It registered a moment magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme).

The earthquake was also felt in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the Xinjiang region. The severity of the damage caused by the earthquake is attributed to severe upthrust.

Although not the largest earthquake to hit this region in terms of magnitude, it is considered the deadliest, surpassing the 1935 Quetta earthquake.

It was the fifth-deadliest natural disaster of the decade. Sources indicate that the official death toll in this quake in Pakistan was between 73,276 and 87,350, with some estimates being as high as over 1,00,000 dead.

In India, 1,360 people were killed while 6,266 were injured. Four others died in Afghanistan.

Nearly three and a half million people were left without shelter, and approximately 138,000 people were injured in the quake.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The article mentioning the 2005 quake really puts things in perspective. A 5.7 is serious, but remembering the scale of that disaster is chilling. My thoughts are with all in the region. Hoping the early warning systems are robust now.
R
Rohit P
Felt a slight sway here in Srinagar! It was brief but scary. Everyone in my colony came out. Good to see the MET department was quick with the details. Hope our disaster response teams are on standby, just in case.
P
Priyanka N
While it's a relief no damage was reported, I feel the media coverage often lacks depth on preparedness. We need more regular drills and public awareness campaigns in these seismic zones, not just reports after the tremor.
K
Karthik V
The coordinates and depth details are impressive. Shows our monitoring has improved. But nature reminds us who's boss. Wishing safety and strength to our brothers and sisters in the mountains. Jai Hind.
M
Michael C
Reading about the 2005 quake casualties is heartbreaking. Puts today's news into a sobering context. Glad this one wasn't worse. International cooperation on disaster preparedness in the Himalayas is crucial.

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