5.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Kashmir

Jammu, Sep 5: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale struck Jammu Kashmir on Friday, Sep 5 at 10.28 am. Panic gripped as the earthquake's intensity shook buildings and sent people rushing out of their homes and offices. "An earthquake of moderate intensity struck the Kashmir valley at 10.28 a.m. The epicentre of the quake was at latitude 36.1 degrees north and longitude 70.5 degrees east, which is in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region," said T K Jotshi, Assistant Director of the weather office, said. The shock waves lasted for several seconds, triggering confusion and panic.

"I felt as if somebody was pulling at my office chair. When I saw colleagues running out of the hall, I realised it was an earthquake," said Feroze Ahmad who works in the civil secretariat.

No casualities have been reported so far. A devastating earthquake which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale had struck both the Indian and Pakistan administered parts of Kashmir in 2005, killing more than 80,000 people and rendering an even larger number homeless.

Oneindia News