String of earthquakes in Jammu and Kashmir raises fears ‘the Big One’ is about to hit

Srinagar, Aug 27: Around eleven small earthquakes have rattled Jammu and Kashmir in just four days, prompting authorities to activate an emergency plan as experts assess what they have described as a "seismic crisis".

The string of earthquakes has triggered renewed concern that a major natural disaster may be imminent.

Experts have warned of a bigger earthquake in the region and advised people to take precautionary measures after eleven back-to-back temblors this week, citing heightened activity in the area classified as highly vulnerable to quakes.

We cannot predict, time and date and excat date and scale of the earthquake, but do beleive that there is a consistent seismic activity going around in the Jammu and Kashmir region and can trigger major earthquake in the region, geologists say.

However, a section of geologists also believe that these minor tremors as releases of pressure by the earth.

"In a way, small tremors are a blessing in disguise as the pressure gets released although it can also be a warning sign before big jolts," reveal experts.

"Sometimes a vulnerable zone remains quiet, experiences small magnitude earthquakes that do not indicate any bigger earthquake, or can receive a sudden jolt by a big earthquake without any call," they said.

The recent earthquakes are a cause of concern but there is no need to panic.

11 Earthquakes hit Jammu and Kashmir in 4 days

Two tremors hit Katra in Jammu and Kashmir on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) informed.

Earlier on Wednesday (August 24) night, within a span of an hour two earthquakes of magnitude 3.2 and 4.1 on the Richter scale had hit Katra in Jammu and Kashmir.

Five low intensity earthquakes jolted Jammu and Kashmir in about 12 hours on August 23.

The first earthquake of magnitude 3.9 occurred at 2.20 am, 61 km east of Katra area in Jammu region.

The second earthquake of 2.6 magnitude occurred 9.5 km north east of Doda in Jammu region at 3.21 am, they said.

The quake hit at latitude 33.23 degrees north and longitude 75.56 degrees east at a depth of 5 km.

The third quake of 2.8 magnitude occurred 29 km east of Udhampur in Jammu region at 3.44 am, they said. The quake hit at latitude 32.89 degrees north and longitude 75.45 degrees east at a depth of 10 km.

The fourth earthquake of 2.9 magnitude occurred 26 km south east of Udhampur at 8.03 am, they said. It occurred at latitude 32.83 degrees north and longitude 75.40 degrees east at a depth of 5 km.

Fifth quake of 3.1 magnitude hit Kishtwar district of Jammu region at 2.17 pm, they said.

However, no loss of life or damage to property was reported so far.