Srinagar, Jan 24 (IANS) A moderate intensity earthquake, with its epicentre in Tajikistan in central Asia, jolted the Kashmir Valley Monday morning, creating panic at some places here.

‘The tremor, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, occurred at 8.15 a.m. this morning,’ an official of the local weather office said.

‘The epicentre of the quake was situated in Tajikistan with latitude 38.4 north and longitude 72.7 east. The tremor was of moderate intensity and, so far, no report of damage to life or property has been reported from anywhere in the Valley,’ the official added.

Many local residents were jolted out of their sleep due to the tremors.

‘I felt the bed shaking and had to run out of the house in panic,’ said Abdul Majid, a resident of north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.

In 2005, a major quake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale killed thousands of people on both sides of the line of control (LOC) between India and Pakistan administered parts of Jammu and Kashmir.