Moderate earthquake of magnitude 4.1 strikes Himachal Pradesh

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck Shimla district early Saturday, with tremors felt in Rampur. Officials reported no casualties or property damage. The report notes 67 tremors in Himachal Pradesh over three years and discusses changes to its seismic-risk classification recently.

Shimla: A moderate earthquake of magnitude 4.1 hit Shimla district in the wee hours of Saturday, with tremors felt in the Rampur area, about 130 km from the Himachal Pradesh capital, data showed.

Tremors were felt for a few seconds around 4.36 am.

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According to the National Centre for Seismology, the epicentre was located at a depth of 10 km below the Earth’s surface.

No loss of life or property has been reported, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said.

The frequent occurrence of earthquakes in the hill state is a cause for alarm among the local population. Recently, mild tremors were felt in Shimla on the morning of August 26.

Himachal Pradesh has experienced 67 tremors over the past three years, up to August 1, causing a loss of Rs 7.05 lakh in private property, according to official data.

The state falls within high-sensitivity seismic zones 4 and 5.

A few months ago, under a new seismic map proposed by the Bureau of Indian Standards, the entire state was categorised as high-risk Zone 6. However, the Centre later revoked the new classification and reinstated the previous seismic standards.