5.3 quake in Afghanistan jolts Kashmir Valley

Srinagar: Tremors of an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale with its epicentre in Badakhshan province in Afghanistan, were felt in Kashmir Valley Saturday.

Disaster management officials said that an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale occurred at 8.24 A.M. Saturday with the epicentre in Badakhshan province of Afghanistan.

“The earthquake occurred 190 Kms inside the Earth’s crust. Its coordinates are Latitude 36.55 degrees North and Longitude 70.92 degrees East”, officials said.

Seismologically, Kashmir Valley is situated in an earthquake-prone region.

Earthquakes have wreaked havoc in Kashmir in the past. A temblor measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit J&K October 8, 2005 and over 80,000 people were killed in that quake.

The epicentre of the earthquake was in Muzaffarabad town of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), and the town was completely razed to rubble in that temblor.

The border town of Uri in Baramulla district of the Valley also suffered massive damage in the 2005 earthquake.

Kashmir has a long history of destructive earthquakes due to its location in a high-seismic zone, with notable historical events including the devastating 1555 and 1885 earthquakes, which caused widespread destruction and thousands of deaths.

Major, well-documented historical earthquakes include the 1555 Kashmir Earthquake, which was a highly destructive earthquake, likely of the magnitude of 7.6, that ruined towns and altered the course of the River Vesha.

The 1885 Baramulla earthquake that took place May 30 was of 6.8 magnitude and caused over 3,000 deaths and severe structural damage in the Srinagar/Baramulla region.

The 1828 earthquake is believed to be a strong event, causing significant damage based on analysis of the Pandrethan Temple.

Structural engineers and earthquake experts have advocated the construction of earthquake-friendly houses and other structures in Kashmir.

These experts have strongly opposed cement concrete homes and houses. These structures are most vulnerable to temblors as they have little capacity to absorb shocks, because of which they cave in.