Moderate earthquake jolts India-controlled Kashmir

A moderate earthquake shook India-controlled Kashmir and its adjoining areas early Monday morning, the second in two days, authorities Monday said.

According to the Disaster Management officials in Srinagar, the summer capital of India-controlled Kashmir, the earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter Scale occurred at 00:39 a.m. local time.

The epicenter of the earthquake was northwest of Srinagar city, located at 35.3 degrees North Latitude and 74.7 degrees East Longitude, said an official at the Disaster Management office in Srinagar.

"So far, no loss of life or property has been reported from any part of the region. But tremors were felt in Srinagar," said Amir Ali, head of the Disaster Management Cell in Srinagar.

Geologists say India-controlled Kashmir is located in a zone of high seismic activity.

Srinagar falls in Seismic Zone-V and other parts of India- controlled Kashmir in Seismic Zone IV.

On Saturday evening, an earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale shook the region. The epicenter was said to be Ladakh, located at 34.4 degrees North Latitude and 75.8 degrees East Longitude.

A high intensity earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter Scale with its epicenter in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir hit the region on October 8, 2005, causing large scale destruction and killing 80,000 people.

Source: Xinhua