Early morning earthquake jolts Himachal, magnitude 4.0

August 26, 2026

An earthquake struck Himachal Pradesh at 5:46 am today. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the quake’s magnitude was recorded at 4.0 on the Richter scale. No casualties or damage has been reported.

Earthquake epicenter near Shimla

The epicenter of the earthquake is reported to be about 66 kilometers east-southeast of Shimla, approximately 10 kilometers below the ground. Its epicenter was towards the Jubbal-Kotkhai area of ​​Shimla. The tremor was felt for about 3 seconds.

Tremors felt in several districts

As soon as the earthquake tremor was felt, many people panicked and ran out of their homes to open spaces. They returned to their homes shortly after the tremor subsided. In addition to Shimla, tremors were also felt in several areas of Solan, Sirmaur, Bilaspur, and Mandi.

Himachal is vulnerable to earthquakes

Himachal Pradesh is among the earthquake-prone states in the country. The country is divided into five zones based on earthquake risk. Chamba, Kangra, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, and parts of Shimla fall in Zone 5, which is the most vulnerable.

Danger increases with magnitudes greater than 5

Districts like Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan, and Una fall in Zone 4. According to experts, earthquakes with magnitudes less than 5.0 generally have a low probability of causing major damage, while those with magnitudes 5.0 or greater increase the risk. Each increase in magnitude on the Richter scale increases the earthquake’s power by approximately 10 times.