6.1 magnitude Earthquake hits Afghanistan, tremors felt in Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 11: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale struck Afghanistan, causing tremors felt in Kashmir. It triggered panic among the people who rushed outside their homes in the Himalayan region.
The seismic event occurred at 2:50 pm on Thursday in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, with the epicenter identified by the US Geological Survey (USGS) at a depth of 206.6 km, located 44 km SSW of Jurm in Afghanistan.
The USGS initially reported the earthquake as measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale and hitting at a depth of 192 km.
The National Center for Seismology later tweeted the specific details, confirming a magnitude of 6.1, an occurrence on January 11, 2024 at 14:50:24 IST, and providing the coordinates Lat: 36.48 & Long: 70.45, with a depth of 220 km in Afghanistan.
There were no reports of casualties or significant damage to property and tremors were also felt in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir. It triggered panic among the people who rushed outside their homes and called their loved ones to enquire about their wellbeing.
It is pertinent to mention here, Jammu and Kashmir is prone to earthquakes, with routine small tremors and occasional moderate to large earthquakes affecting nearly all parts of the region.
The Kashmir Valley is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes, situated between the Pir Panjal and Zanskar thrusts.
Other northern parts of Jammu & Kashmir are also heavily faulted, with a NW-SE trending strike-slip fault running along the Zaskar and Ladakh ranges, marking the longest fault line in the region.