An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 hit the Leh-Ladakh region on Monday morning, causing tremors in the northwestern Himalayan region. The quake took place at 11:51:14 am IST, as per the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).
According to the NCS, the epicentre of the earthquake was fixed in Leh, with a location given as 36.71° North latitude and 74.32° East longitude. The earthquake had its origin at a depth of 171 kilometres, thus making it a deep-focus earthquake. The region of Leh-Ladakh is located in the Himalayan region, which is seismically active with frequent tectonic movements because of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates.
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No casualties reported
There were no reports of any casualties or damage to property. Reportedly, it was confirmed that the situation is being closely monitored, and residents are advised to exercise caution in the wake of possible aftershocks. Disaster management officials also asked people to follow standard safety procedures and not panic.
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Regional seismic activity remains elevated
The latest earthquake occurred a day after a magnitude 4.1 quake was recorded in Afghanistan, marking a warning for the rising activities within the region. There have been a series of earthquakes within the last few days in Afghanistan, with a magnitude of 4.2 at a depth of 96 km on January 15 and a magnitude of 3.8 at a depth of 90 km on January 14.
As per a report by the Hindustan Times, shallower earthquakes pose greater dangers, since waves will not experience significant losses in energy by the time they reach the Earth’s surface, thus resulting in intense shaking.
