Moderate earthquake shakes Kashmir Valley

A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale shook the Kashmir valley on Saturday night. No loss of life or property was reported anywhere in the valley.

A spokesman of the Meteorological Department Kashmir said that the tremor hit the valley at 11.15 pm on Saturday and lasted only a few seconds. "The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Hindukush Region in Afghanistan," he said.

The coordinates of the earthquake was latitude 36.2 degrees north and longitude 70.5 degrees east. Jammu and Kashmir is prone to earthquakes as it falls in a vulnerable seismic zone of the country. In October 2005, more than 1,300 people died and tens of thousands of houses and other structures were damaged when a massive earthquake struck the border areas of Uri and Tangdhar sectors of north Kashmir.

On October 27, 2015 a powerful earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale wreaked havoc leaving two elderly women dead. Two Army men suffered serious injuries when their bunker wall collapsed in the quake.

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• On October 27, 2015 a powerful earthquake in J&K measuring 7.5 left two elderly women dead, and two Army men serious injured when their bunker wall collapsed