A 5.4 magnitude earthquake jolted the city and neighboring States on Friday morning.
The earthquake of moderate intensity hit north India, including Chandigarh and States of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir at 8.03 am followed by an aftershock of 2.7 magnitude was felt in the region. The strong tremors in the morning prompted people to rush out of the buildings on to streets for safety. The tremors of 5.4 magnitude lasted for six to seven seconds pulling panicked people out of their homes.
No reports of any damage and casualty in the region was received. Surender Paul, Director of the local Met department said, “The earthquake of moderate intensity hit Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir around 8 in the morning.” “The epicentre of the earthquake was Jammu & Kashmir and it measured 5.4 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the earthquake was at latitude 33.5 degree north and longitude 75.5 degree east. And, the earthquake took place at a depth of 28 km down the surface,” he said.