5.0 quake jolts Himachal’s Kangra-Chamba region

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.0 struck near Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra-Chamba border late Friday night, causing tremors across Himachal, Chandigarh, Punjab, and Haryana.

Shimla/Chandigarh: Tremors were felt in parts of Kangra, Chamba and adjoining districts in Himachal Pradesh after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake of moderate intensity hit the region on Friday night.

The depth of the earthquake, which struck about 40 km from Dharamsala near the Kangra- Chamba border about 10:30 pm, was 5 km, the meteorological office said, adding that the epicentre was located near Dhar Godoi in Kangra.

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People in Dharamsala and nearby areas ran out of their houses in panic after the tremors were felt, though no loss of life or property has been reported from any part of the state so far, officials said.

The Kangra and Chamba districts fall under Seismic Zone 5, a high-damage risk zone.

Tremors were also felt in Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana, reports said.

A Chandigarh resident, Baldev Chand, who lives on the second floor of a three-storey building, said he felt a mild tremor when he was about to sleep.

“The tremors lasted only for a few seconds,” he said.