TNR News Network
Mandi: Mild earthquake tremors were felt across parts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday (January 5, 2026) afternoon, triggering brief panic among residents. The epicentre of the quake was located in Mandi district, where the tremor measured 3.6 on the Richter scale.
According to officials, the earthquake struck at around 12.57 pm, with its origin traced to a depth of about five kilometres beneath the surface. People in several areas reported feeling the ground shake and rushed out of homes and offices as a precaution. No loss of life or damage to property was reported.
Mandi district lies in a seismically active region and frequently experiences low-intensity tremors. On Monday, however, the sudden shaking caught residents off guard, prompting momentary alarm.
The tremor in Himachal came hours after a stronger earthquake, measuring over magnitude 5, was reported in Assam earlier in the day. The back-to-back seismic activity has heightened concern among people, especially in the hill state.
Experts have repeatedly warned that Himachal Pradesh remains highly vulnerable to earthquakes. In its recently updated seismic zoning map, the Bureau of Indian Standards has placed the entire Himalayan belt in the highest-risk Zone VI (red zone). Districts such as Shimla, Mandi, Kangra, Kullu, Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti have now been categorised as facing the most severe risk.
A large part of Himachal already falls under Zone V, which is considered extremely sensitive to earthquakes. The state has a painful history of seismic disasters, including the devastating Kangra earthquake of April 5, 1905, which claimed thousands of lives and had a magnitude of over 7 on the Richter scale.
