A moderate earthquake shook the Xinjiang region of China at 10:26 PM on Thursday night, registering a magnitude of 5.0 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of this seismic activity was situated near the China-Ladakh border. According to Kashmir Weather, the epicenter was located at 35.587 degrees north latitude and 78.130 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 164 kilometers. Tremors from the earthquake were distinctly felt across multiple areas in Jammu and Kashmir, although no major damage or casualties had been reported late into the night.
Tremors Recorded in Other Regions
Prior to this event, minor seismic activities were also recorded in other parts of the country on Thursday. According to the National Center for Seismology, an earthquake of 3.2 magnitude was registered in the Lakshadweep Sea at 7:54 PM. Earlier, at 6:33 PM, a minor tremor of 2.9 magnitude hit Faridabad near Delhi. However, the intensity of these events was quite low, and such mild tremors are generally not felt by the general public.
Rising Seismic Activity in the Himalayan Region
Experts note that seismic activity has witnessed an upward trend in recent months across the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding Himalayan regions. Previously, a powerful earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck Tibet on October 22. According to the National Center for Seismology, that particular tremor was centered about 400 kilometers away from Lhasa and had a depth of 173 kilometers.
Himalayas Coping With Natural Calamities
This earthquake occurred at a time when the region is already struggling with the aftermath of severe natural disasters. In August, a catastrophic flash flood triggered by snow and rock avalanches near the Nepal-Tibet border caused widespread devastation. That disaster resulted in 1,455 deaths in Nepal alone, with thousands of people reported missing. Reports of casualties and missing persons also emerged from the Tibetan side.
Impact of Global Warming
Experts believe that rising temperatures, the accelerated melting of glaciers, and extreme weather events are continuously elevating the risk of natural disasters in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region.
