4.7-magnitude earthquake hits Kashmir

An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 hit the Kashmir Valley early on Monday, causing panic among the people in Pattan and surrounding areas of Baramulla district, officials said. There were no reports of any damage so far, they said. According to the National Centre for Seismology, the quake occurred at 5.35 am at a depth of 10 km with the epicentre in Pattan area, which is 10 km northeast of Gulmarg, a tourist resort. Earlier, the magnitude was the earthquake was said to be 4.6 but it was later reviewed to 4.7. Tremors lasted nearly 20 seconds. The Kashmir Valley is located in an highly active seismic area. The National Seismic Hazard Map by the Bureau of Indian Standards released in November last year has placed the entire Himalayan arc, including Kashmir, in the siesmic Zone VI. Large parts of Kashmir on either side of Line of Control were flattened by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on October 8, 2005, resulting in death of thousands and widespread damage to infrastructure.