5.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Afghanistan, tremors felt in Kashmir

A moderate intensity earthquake rocked Kashmir valley on Saturday afternoon, triggering panic among the residents.

The 5.8 magnitude earthquake with epicentre in the Hindukush region of Afghanistan came in quick succession of the two major earlier temblors that struck the valley in past two months.

The phenomenon of earthquakes of this frequency and intensity rocking the valley in just two months has caused panic and tension among the people who are still to come out of the shock of the devastating floods of 2014.

Experts have warned of a major earthquake to hit the valley, which unfortunately lacks the wherewithal to deal with the situation.

Mohammad Ismail Bhat, former head of geology and geophysics at the University of Kashmir says that ‘there is a suggestion that frequency of earthquakes worldwide has increased’.

He said that Kashmir is an area where experts have long been warning about a magnitude 8-plus earthquake.

Image: Locals sit outside a house during the earthquake in Srinagar. Photograph: Umar Ganie