SRINAGAR, May 10: A low intensity tremor shook the Kashmir Valley late on Wednesday night, jolting many locals out of their sleep, the met office here said Thursday.

Sonam Lotus, director of the local meteorological office said the magnitude of the quake was 3.4 on the Richter scale while its coordinates were 74.5 degrees east and 34.3 degrees north.”

The epicentre of the quake was inJammu and Kashmirregion.

Despite being a light intensity quake, it jolted many people out of their sleep.

Geologically, the valley is situated in a seismic zone that is prone to earthquakes.

Roger Bilham, aUSearth scientist, has said that a major earthquake is scientifically “overdue in the region that could result in widespread devastation”.

A massive quake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale rocked Kashmir Oct 8, 2005 killing more than 40,000 people living on the two sides of the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir into Indian and Pakistan parts