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M5.1 Earthquake near Padam, India — 13 March 2025

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.1 was recorded near Padam, India on , with an epicentre 51 km south-southwest of Padam, at a focal depth of 57.0 km. It ranked as the 5th strongest of 10 earthquakes recorded in India in the preceding 30 days.

5.1 Moderate

Time (UTC): 2025-03-13 21:20:11

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 5.1 (moderate)

Focal depth: 57.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 33.0777, 76.5809

Location: 51 km SSW of Padam, India

Country: India

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake radiates roughly 674 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 422, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 02:26 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.

This event was deeper than 77% of the 141 earthquakes recorded in India in our catalogue and stronger than 91% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 33.0777, 76.5809 — 51 km south-southwest of Padam. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.6 earthquake 32 km west of here on 11 April 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Bhadarwāh (46 km west-southwest), Kishtwār (49 km west-northwest), Dalhousie (64 km west-southwest) and Kyelang (71 km south).

Why the 57 km depth matters

At 57 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M5.1 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.9 event near Kyelang on 05 June 2026. This M5.1 event released about 2.0 times more energy than that event.

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the March 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in India during March 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in India

All recorded earthquakes in India →

Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 5 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Padam?

It measured magnitude 5.1 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake radiates roughly 674 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Padam?

The focus was 57 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Padam earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 5.1 and a focal depth of 57 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Padam happen?

13 March 2025 at 21:20 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

How often do earthquakes happen near Padam?

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.9 event near Kyelang on 05 June 2026. This M5.1 event released about 2.0 times more energy than that event.