Himachal records three low-intensity quakes

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has recorded three low-intensity quakes in the past 12 hours, an official said here Wednesday morning.

No loss of life or damage to property was reported. "An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale was recorded at 5.34 p.m. Tuesday," an official of the meteorological office here told IANS. Another earthquake measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale hit at 11.56 p.m., and a third, also of the same intensity was recorded at 5.26 a.m. Wednesday, he said. The epicentre of all the three quakes was on the border of the districts of Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti, bordering Jammu and Kashmir. In October 2012 too, the hill state was twice hit by earthquakes of low intensity and the epicentre of both the quakes was on the Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti border. High-altitude areas of Chamba and the entire Lahaul-Spiti districts are characterised by difficult terrain, fragile mountains, prone to avalanches and landslides. The region also falls in seismic zone-IV, at high risk of quakes, say officials. IANS