Strong 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolts Ladakh's Leh
What's the story
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Leh Ladakh region of northwestern Kashmir on Monday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) confirmed. The quake occurred at 11:51:14am at a depth of 171km. Its epicenter was located 290 km north-west of Kargil, according to official data shared by NCS. The impact was felt even beyond Ladakh, with tremors extending as far as Tajikistan, Central Asia.
Regional tremors
Recent seismic activity in the region
The earthquake comes a day after a separate tremor of magnitude 4.1 hit Afghanistan, underscoring increased seismic activity in the region. Shallow earthquakes are usually more dangerous than deeper ones because seismic waves have less distance to travel before reaching the surface. This often leads to stronger ground shaking and a higher potential for damage and casualties.
Afghan earthquakes
Afghanistan experiences multiple tremors recently
Afghanistan has witnessed several tremors in recent days. On January 15, a magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck at a depth of 96km, followed by another quake of magnitude 3.8 on January 14 at a depth of 90km, according to NCS data. No immediate reports of casualties or damage have been reported in the Leh quake; however, authorities are monitoring the situation closely and have advised caution due to possible aftershocks.