Mild quake jolts Kangra, Chamba

DHARAMSHALA: Already suffering from rain fury, parts of Kangra and Chamba districts were rocked by an earthquake of mild intensity on Thursday. Panic-stricken people rushed out of their homes and offices, after tremors were felt at 1.41pm.
"The earthquake measured 5.0 on the Richter scale and occurred at 1.41pm. The epicentre was Chamba-Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh," an official of the meteorological department said.
The earthquake lasted a few seconds and no loss of life was reported.
"We ran out of our office as it is located in an old building. This is an earthquake sensitive zone, so we can't take any chance," said Yogesh Kumar, an income-tax lawyer in Dharamshala. Not many returned to their premises immediately afterwards, apprehending aftershocks.
"We have just shifted into our newly constructed house. I was cooking food for my children who are in play school and had just returned home, when the earthquake struck. I left my cooking and rushed out with the kids," said Indu Sharma from Kangra.
In Himachal, the tremors were felt prominently in Shimla, Chamba, Hamirpur, Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu and Kangra districts.
Kangra deputy commissioner C Paul Rasu said there were reports of minor cracks in some houses in upper Dharamshala areas. "So far, there is no major damage to any public or private property," he said.
Himachal Pradesh had witnessed the most devastating earthquake in 1905 in the Kangra Valley in which more than 20,000 people were killed.