Earthquake of 5.5 magnitude hits parts of Gujarat, mild tremors in Kashmir

Earthquake of 5.5 magnitude hits parts of Gujarat, mild tremors in Kashmir
People move out of their apartments and compounds to an open area following an earthquake, in Ahmedabad, Sunday. Photo: PTI

Ahmedabad: An earthquake of 5.5 magnitude shook parts of Gujarat on Sunday night with its epicentre near Bhachau in Kutch district, officials said.

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the quake, which occurred at 8:13pm, had its epicentre 118 km north by northwest of Rajkot.

Its depth was 10 km.

The quake was felt in cities like Kutch, Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Patan, where many people rushed out of their houses.

No report to damage to property or life is reported so far.

Minutes later, another earthquake of magnitude 3.0 on Richter Scale occurred in Jammu & Kashmir at 8:35pm, according to NCS. The quake struck 90 km east of Katra, Jammu and Kashmir.

Earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan

An earthquake with a 5.7 magnitude shook Bingol province in eastern Turkey on Sunday, causing the collapse of a military observation tower which injured three people, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said the epicentre of the quake was in the Karliova district of Bingol.

Soylu said on Twitter that one security guard was trapped under the rubble of the observation tower in Karliova, while two other people were slightly hurt.

Meanwhile, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said that an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 had struck the Taiwan region. The quake was at a depth of 20 km, EMSC said.

Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China considers its own, lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

Earlier on Sunday, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of the Amamioshima Island in Japan's Kagoshima prefecture, authorities said, adding that no tsunami warning was issued.

The temblor occurred at 12:51am, with its epicentre at a latitude of 28.8 degrees north and a longitude of 128.3 degrees east, and at a depth of 160 km, reports Xinhua news agency.

The quake logged 4 in some parts of Kagoshima on the Japanese seismic intensity scale which peaks at 7.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damages.

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