Twin Earthquakes Of Magnitude 3.3 And 4.0 Shake Himachal’s Chamba As Monsoon Havoc Deepens

Just when Himachal Pradesh thought the monsoon chaos couldn’t get worse, the ground itself gave way to fresh shocks. In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, Chamba district was rattled by two back-to-back earthquakes, keeping residents on edge in a season already defined by loss and damage.

Himachal Pradesh Faces Twin Earthquakes

EQ of M: 3.3, On: 20/08/2025 03:27:09 IST, Lat: 32.87 N, Long: 76.09 E, Depth: 20 Km, Location: Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
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— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) August 19, 2025

EQ of M: 4.0, On: 20/08/2025 04:39:45 IST, Lat: 32.71 N, Long: 76.11 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
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— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) August 19, 2025

The National Centre for Seismology confirmed that the first tremor, measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale, struck at 3:27 am, its epicentre mapped at latitude 32.87 N and longitude 76.09 E, 20 kilometres below the surface. 

An hour later, at 4:39 am, a second, stronger quake of magnitude 4.0 jolted the same district at a shallower depth of 10 kilometres, this time at latitude 32.71 N and longitude 76.11 E. No injuries have been reported so far, but the timing of these tremors, amid weeks of landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts has deepened anxieties in the hill state.

According to India Today, Kullu woke up to yet another disaster. A cloudburst in the Lagghati area tore through roads, bridges, and homes. Deputy Commissioner Torul S. Ravish described the scale of the destruction. He iterated that the road near Bhootnath Bridge was ripped apart, the Hanumani Bag Bridge was washed away, and even a cremation ground suffered damage. Two shops, a house, and a pair of vegetable stalls were flattened, while the Ropdi Bhutthi Bridge was also left unusable. 

Also Read: Heavy Rain Triggers Orange Alert In Himachal Pradesh; 224 Dead, Over 300 Roads Blocked

Monsoon Havoc Deepened In The State

Before this earthquake incident, Himachal Pradesh had recorded 276 deaths linked to rain and road accidents since June 20, according to the State Disaster Management Authority. Landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts alone account for 143 of those lives lost. 

Another 133 people have died on treacherous, rain-battered mountain roads. The state’s financial burden is no less severe, with losses standing at an estimated ₹2,21,000 lakh, more than 1,100 houses destroyed, and over 27,500 livestock and poultry wiped out.

Seismologists have long classified the Himalayas as seismically active, but when earthquakes coincide with extreme rainfall, the dangers multiply. Slopes already loosened by water are more prone to collapse, raising the risk of landslides after even moderate tremors. For families in Chamba and Kullu, these twin realities, quakes from below and floods from above, have turned daily life into a terrifying game of what might come next, as stated by India Today. 

Also Read: Himachal Pradesh Reels Under Monsoon Fury As 383 Roads Blocked And Several Dead

For now, rescue workers, engineers, and villagers continue to dig out from one disaster even as they brace for another. In Himachal Pradesh this monsoon, the ground shakes, the sky opens, and survival feels like endurance against both.

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