Earthquake of magnitude 5.7 jolts Valley
Damages spire of Chrar-e-Sharief shrine; PM calls LG to assess situation
Srinagar: A 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, causing damage to the spire of a famous Sufi shrine in Chrar-e-Sharief but there were no reports of any loss of life, officials said.
The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 9.45 am, was at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. Strong tremors were felt in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to enquire about the situation in the union territory following the earthquake.
The officials said the quake hit at latitude 36.34 degrees north and longitude 71.05 degrees east at a depth of 181 km.
The tremors caused panic among people who rushed out of their homes. It also damaged the spire of the revered shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (RA), popularly known as “Nund Rishi” at Chrar-e-Sharief in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, the officials said.
However, repair work on the minaret was started in the afternoon, they said.
There was no loss of life reported, the officials said.
