Earthquake hits disputed Kashmir region

A moderate 5.5 magnitude earthquake has hit the Himalayan region of Kashmir, sending frightened residents running from their homes but there were no immediate reports of deaths, officials said.

The Indian Meteorological Department said the temblor struck at 9:18am on Friday near Baramullah, a town near the de-facto border that divides Indian and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.

Officials in the Himalayan region said the quake caused panic but no major damage. In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit the area, killing at least 78,000 people.

Amir Ali, an official with the local disaster management committee on the Indian side, said, “We have been collecting reports from the area. There is no report of death or major damage so far.”

 

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