Earthquake hits Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand

A 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand on Sunday, October 25, at 12:51 PM. According to the National Center for Seismology, the tremor occurred at a depth of approximately 11 kilometers. The epicenter was located near the Uttarkashi district headquarters.

The earthquake caused momentary panic, leading residents to flee their homes, but no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage have been confirmed. This event follows other recent seismic activity in the region, including a 4.2 magnitude earthquake in Uttarkashi on October 10 and a 3.4 magnitude tremor in Pithoragarh on April 14.

The incident has renewed discussions regarding seismic zoning in the Himalayan region. Under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) seismic zoning map related to the new code-2025, there are provisions to reclassify Himalayan states like Uttarakhand into Zone-6, an extremely sensitive category, moving from previous classifications of Zone-4 and Zone-5. This shift aims to enforce stricter earthquake-resistant construction standards for buildings and infrastructure in high-risk areas.