Srinagar: Four back-to-back earthquakes of moderate intensity struck Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday, officials said.

There was no report of loss of life or damage to any property.

As per National Center for Seismology- which monitors earthquake activity all across the country- the first earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter Scale hit J&K and Ladakh at around 3.48 pm.

The earthquake was located at latitude of 33.41 and longitude 76.70. Its centre was located 10 kilometres beneath the ground in Kargil region of union territory of Ladakh.

Some thirteen minutes later another earthquake of magnitude 3.8 on the Richter scale hit the region with its epicenter in Kargil again. The epicenter was at a depth of 1o kilometers.

Around the same time there was a minor earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter Scale with the epicentres in Kishtwar region J&K. The fourth earthquake with the epicentre in Kishtwar and magnitude 3.6 on the Richter Scale hit J&K at around 4.18 pm.

“Earthquake of Magnitude:3.6, Occurred on 18-12-2023, 16:18:08 IST, Lat: 33.37 & Long: 76.57, Depth: 10 Km, Region: Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir,” the NCS wrote in a post on X about the fourth quake.

Jammu and Kashmir is vulnerable to earthquakes. Apart from the routine small tremors moderate to large earthquakes have hit nearly all parts of the erstwhile state.

One of the deadliest earthquakes hit the region on the morning of October 8,2005. The earthquake struck the India-Pakistan border and resulted in more than 80,000 deaths in northern Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir.

The Kashmir Valley is very vulnerable to earthquakes lies as it lies between the Pir Panjal and the Zaskar thrusts. Other northern parts of Jammu & Kashmir are heavily faulted. Along the Zaskar and the Ladakh ranges runs a NW-SE trending strike-slip fault, the longest in the Jammu & Kashmir.