Moderate 5.0 magnitude earthquake hits Himachal Pradesh's Kangra-Chamba region

📌 Summary:

• A 5.0 magnitude earthquake of moderate intensity struck Himachal Pradesh on the night of June 5, 2026, with tremors felt in Kangra, Chamba and adjoining districts and neighbouring States
• The epicentre was near Dhar Godoi in Kangra, about 40 km from Dharamsala on the Kangra-Chamba border; the quake struck at 10:04 pm at a shallow depth of 5 km
• Shallow-focus quakes typically cause stronger surface shaking
• The Kangra region is highly seismically active (Seismic Zone V — the highest hazard zone), having experienced the catastrophic 1905 Kangra earthquake

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (Disaster Management) and GS1 (Geography) — seismicity of the Himalayas, India's seismic zoning, and earthquake preparedness in high-risk zones.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Magnitude 5.0; depth ~5 km; epicentre near Dhar Godoi, Kangra (~40 km from Dharamsala)
• Kangra lies in Seismic Zone V (highest risk); 1905 Kangra earthquake was among India's deadliest
• India is divided into four seismic zones (II to V) by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

🔑 Key Term: Focal depth — the depth below the surface where an earthquake originates; shallow-focus quakes (<70 km) generally produce more intense surface shaking.