4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Kashmir Valley; Epicenter in Baramulla District

Srinagar, Aug 20: A 4.9-magnitude earthquake jolted the Kashmir Valley early Tuesday morning, causing alarm among residents. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the quake struck at 6:45 AM IST, with its epicenter in the northern Baramulla district. The NCS reported, “EQ of M: 4.9, On: 20/08/2024 06:45:57 IST, Lat: 34.17 N, Long: 74.16 E, Depth: 5 Km, Location: Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir.”

While no immediate reports of casualties or significant property damage have surfaced, the tremors caused panic in several areas across the region. Most parts of the Kashmir Valley, along with Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar in the Jammu region, lie in Seismic Zone V, a category marked as a very high damage risk zone by the Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority.

In a related incident, a man in Baramulla was injured after jumping from a building in a desperate attempt to escape the quake.