JAMMU: Within an hour on Monday, five consecutive moderate-intensity earthquakes struck Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, according to officials. There were no reports of fatalities or property damage. According to the National Centre for Seismology, which keeps track of earthquake activity throughout the nation, at approximately 3:48 PM, J&K and Ladakh were struck by the first earthquake, which had a Richter Scale magnitude of 5.5. The location of the earthquake was 33.41 latitude, 76.70 longitude. Its centre was 10 kilometres below the surface in the Kargil area of Ladakh’s union territory. Thirteen minutes later, the area was struck by another earthquake with a magnitude of 3.8, again with its epicentre in Kargil.Ten kilometres below the surface was the epicentre. A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter Scale occurred about the same time, with its epicentre in the Kishtwar region of J&K. At approximately 4:18 p.m., J&K was struck by the fourth earthquake, which had an epicentre in Kishtwar and a Richter Scale of 3.6. “Earthquake of Magnitude:3.6, Occurred on 18-12-2023, 16:18:08 IST, Lat: 33.37 & Long: 76.57, Depth: 10 Km, Region: Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir,” the NCS stated in a post on X regarding the fourth earthquake. At 4:44 p.m., a 3.4-magnitude earthquake with its epicentre at Kargil shook the Union territories.
