A mild earthquake of magnitude 3.6 on the Richter scale hit Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at around 4:57 pm, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).
The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 5 kilometres, with the epicentre located at latitude 34.43 and longitude 74.22, near the Line of Control (LoC) that separates India and Pakistan in the region.
The NCS, which monitors seismic activity in the country, confirmed the quake on its official X account. "Earthquake of Magnitude:3.6, Occurred on 30-12-2023, 16:57:41 IST, Lat: 34.43 & Long: 74.22,Depth: 5 Km Region: Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, India," the NCS tweeted.
No reports of damage or casualties have been received so far from the affected area, which is prone to frequent tremors due to its proximity to the Himalayan fault line.
The last major earthquake in Jammu and Kashmir was recorded on October 8, 2005, when a 7.6 magnitude quake killed over 80,000 people and displaced millions in both India and Pakistan.