Earthquake hits flood-hit Uttarakhand

An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 on the Richter Scale jolted Pithoragarh of Uttarakhand on Sunday at around 6:34 pm. As per the National Centre for Seismology, the depth of the quake was recorded 5 kilometres. The earthquake hit the state which is affected by heavy rains and cloudbursts.

Earlier on Saturday, cloudbursts hit several places in the state. Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela sought information regarding the situation from the District Disaster Control Room in the early hours of Saturday, the officials said. He also spoke to public representatives and enquired about people affected by the rains and the damage caused in their respective areas.

The cloudburst incident in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi wreaked havoc as the houses, roads were damaged, compelling the residents to be shifted to safer



places.

The Yamunotri National Highway was blocked at various places on Saturday due to fallen debris near Gangnani. The situation worsened after the region received heavy rainfall after the cloudburst incident causing trouble to the residents and animals.

According to the locals, the cloudburst occurred in the early hours of Saturday at around 2 am. They said that the place where they slept was completely washed away in the rain. 

The incident caused heavy damage to properties, washing away two colleges, and nearly five hotels. Five laborers somehow saved their lives after a wall was broken by rainwater and debris in Rajtar town. Nirvana Tourist Cottages have been damaged and debris has also entered the campus of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Residential School at Gangnani under Barkot tehsil due to late night cloudburst.