Earthquake jolts Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu/Srinagar: An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, forcing panicky residents in various cities and towns to run out of their homes onto the streets.

“The quake at 1.34 a.m. today (Wednesday) had its epicentre in the Hindukush mountains in Afghanistan at a depth of 220 km,” local Meteorological Department director Sonum Lotus told IANS in Srinagar.

No loss of life or damage to property has so far been reported from anywhere in the state.

Moderate intensity tremors have jolted Jammu and Kashmir in the last five months.