Earth trembled from Himachal to Punjab, earthquake tremors in many districts including Chamba, people came out of their homes.

Kangra:The strong earthquake that struck Himachal Pradesh on Friday night left people in panic. At around 10:04 pm, the earth trembled in many districts of the state, after which people got scared and came out of their homes and buildings. According to the National Seismology Centre, the intensity of the earthquake was measured at 5.0 on the Richter scale.

Where was the epicenter of the earthquake?

The epicenter of the earthquake was located in Dharamshala area near the border of Kangra and Chamba districts. According to scientists, its center was about five kilometers below the ground surface. The impact of earthquakes occurring at shallow depth is usually felt more, which is why this tremor was clearly felt in large parts of the state.

People felt tremors in Kangra, Dharamshala, Palampur, Baijnath, Chamba, Mandi and many surrounding areas. Due to the sudden tremors, many people came out of their homes and reached open places. However, till late night there was no news of any loss of life or property, due to which people heaved a sigh of relief.

What do the experts say?

Experts say that a large part of Himachal Pradesh is considered sensitive from earthquake point of view. Kangra district in particular is counted among the most earthquake affected areas of the country and has been placed in Seismic Zone-5. This is the same area where one of the most destructive earthquakes in history was recorded in 1905.

An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude occurred in Kangra on April 4, 1905, causing massive devastation. About 20 thousand people lost their lives in this natural disaster and thousands of buildings were damaged. Even after this, many earthquakes have been recorded in the state from time to time.

In the year 1975, there was an earthquake of about 6.8 magnitude in Kinnaur region, which affected many villages. Apart from this, tremors of 2001 Gujarat earthquake and 2005 Kashmir earthquake were also felt in different parts of Himachal Pradesh. In recent years, many small earthquakes of 2 to 4 Richter scale have been recorded in Kangra, Chamba and Mandi districts.

In such a situation, the 5.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred on Friday night has once again increased the concern in people’s minds regarding the possibility of a major earthquake. However, experts are advising to remain constantly alert and follow disaster management guidelines.