Residents of Gujarat's Kachchh district were awoken by a moderate earthquake early Friday morning. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake, measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale, struck at exactly 4:30:02 AM IST.
The seismic event originated at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, which often makes tremors more perceptible at the surface. The epicentre was pinpointed at latitude 23.65° North and longitude 70.23° East, located approximately 160 km North-Northwest of Rajkot and near the town of Rapar in the Kachchh district.
Local residents reported being jolted out of their sleep as windows rattled and household items shook for several seconds. Despite the initial alarm, the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) and local police confirmed that the region escaped any significant impact. "Emergency services were placed on standby as a precaution, but we have received no reports of casualties or any collapsed structures," a senior district official stated.
Kachchh is categorized as a high-risk seismic zone (Zone V), having a history of devastating earthquakes, most notably the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. In 2025 alone, the region has recorded several tremors exceeding a magnitude of 3.0, including a 4.3 magnitude quake earlier this year in April. Experts suggest that these frequent, low-to-moderate intensity tremors are common in the Kutch mainland fault system.
