5.3 magnitude earthquake jolts Gujarat, no casualties

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Gujarat on Thursday night but there was no immediate report of any casualty or damage. The epicentre of the quake of moderate intensity, which shook the state at around 22:48 hours, was 20km south east of Sasangir near Vansthli town in Junagadh district. Officials said the quake was felt for 25 seconds in Junagadh and people rushed out of their homes in panic. The tremor was felt in several other parts of the state including Ahmedabad. [caption id=“attachment_113220” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Officials said the quake was felt for 25 seconds in Junagadh and people rushed out of their homes in panic. The tremor was felt in several other parts of the state including Ahmedabad.  Reuters”]  [/caption] The state was rocked by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on January 26, 2001 leaving 20,000 people dead and causing widespread destruction with the worst-affected being the Kutch region. Tremors were also felt in Mumbai, a senior Met department official said. “The epicentre of the earthquake which registered 5.3 on Richter scale was at Junagadh in Gujarat, tremors were felt here,” said director of Met Department at Mumbai, Rajeev Nair. PTI