Shimla, July 17 - An earthquake of moderate intensity jolted the hills of Himachal Pradesh Friday, officials said.

'An earthquake of moderate intensity hit some parts of the hill state at 4.37 p.m. It measured 4.8 on the Richter scale,' R.S. Negi, an official of the department of seismology at Kangra, told IANS on phone.

He said the earthquake was recorded in the entire Chamba district, adjoining Jammu and Kashmir, and upper Kangra district only.

'The epicenter of the earthquake was Holi and Bharmour region in Chamba district. It was single-stroke quake and tremors were felt for six seconds. It was likely to have hit the adjoining state of Jammu and Kashmir too,' he added.

However, there is no report of any loss of life and major damage to property.

'The quake of such intensity can lead to cracks in mud houses,' the official said.

The Holi and Bharmour region, some 350 km from Shimla, is a tribal area where most of the houses are made of mud and stones.