Earthquake causes damage to renowned fort in India

A renowned fort in India’s northernmost state suffered severe damage in an earthquake on Monday (October 26), said an official.

A major earthquake struck the remote Afghan northeast on Monday, killing more than 200 people in Afghanistan and nearby northern Pakistan, injuring hundreds and sending shock waves as far as New Delhi, officials said.

The death toll could climb in coming days because communications were down in much of the rugged Hindu Kush mountain range where the quake was centred.

In India’s Jammu and Kashmir state, one of the walls of Bhimgarh Fort collapsed due to the tremors of the quake, while cracks had developed in various other parts of the structure.

“The wall on the backside of the famous Bhimgarh Fort has been completely damaged in the earthquake,” said Vaid Parkesh, a police officer.

The fort was originally built of clay and mud but later reconstructed using stones by the royal family. It is located on a slope that is 493 feet high.

The quake was 213 km (132 miles) deep and centred 254 km (158 miles) northeast of Kabul in Badakhshan province. The U.S. Geological Survey initially measured the magnitude at 7.7, and then revised it down to 7.5.