Earthquake claims three lives in J&K

Srinagar/Jammu: Two elderly women died of cardiac arrest in Kashmir Valley apparently due to panic triggered by earthquake on Monday, which also killed a youth in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ten people, including two army soldiers, were injured in the earthquake which rattled the state this afternoon. Nearly three dozen buildings and public infrastructure were also damaged due to it in Kashmir Valley.

Sixty-five year old Zoona Begum of Mohalla Mir Sahab in old town Baramulla suffered a massive heart attack as she was rushing towards a safer place when the earthquake hit around 2:40 PM, police said.

Another elderly woman died in similar circumstances in Bijbehara area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district, a police official said.

Fatima, 80, of Ahangar Mohalla was pronounced dead by doctors as she was taken to district hospital Anantnag, the official said.

In Reasi district, a 16-year-old youth was killed while his father received serious injuries after they were hit by shooting stones triggered by earthquake.

"A 16-year-old boy identified as Mohammed Ashraf died on the spot when he was hit on head by shooting stones triggered by the earthquake in remote Bathodi village of Reasi district," a police officer said in Jammu.

Meanwhile, two army personnel were injured when their bunker collapsed after tremors in Sopore town of Baramulla district, 55 kms from Srinagar.

The bunker collapsed inside Ganjoo house, where an army unit is camping, injuring to two soldiers, following which they were taken to the hospital, an official said.

He said six persons were reported injured in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, while another person jumped from the window of his house during the tremor and suffered fracture.

Quoting preliminary information, the official said over two dozen residential houses and six police buildings suffered damages in different parts of Kashmir Valley.

"We are still collecting the details and the figures of the damage to the public and private infrastructure might go up," he said.

He said Jehangir chowk flyover suffered minor damage as a gap on a joint widened slightly.

A team of engineers visited the flyover and after inspection allowed the traffic to move on the road, the official said.

A vehicle was damaged at Rafiabad in Baramulla district when a tree got uprooted and fell on it. However, there was no immediate report of any casualty in the incident, the officials said.

A massive earthquake measuring 7.5 on Richter scale today jolted north India, with panic-stricken people rushing out of houses and buildings that shook during the temblor lasting almost a minute.

In Reasi, the youth and his father had gone to graze cattle when the incident took place.

"Both of them had gone to graze their cattle in the forest when they were hit by the shooting stones which were triggered by the strong earthquake," the police officer said.

In Ramban district, one person was injured when a shooting stone hit his vehicle during the earthquake.

"Mohammad Ramzan was injured when his vehicle was hit by a shooting stone in Kawna area of Ramban district during the earthquake," a police officer said.

He said that five houses were also damaged in Khari town of Ramban district due to the earthquake.