Tremors were felt across Delhi and parts of northern India after a powerful earthquake struck Afghanistan, triggering short waves of panic among residents.
According to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ), an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 struck the border area between Afghanistan and Tajikistan and the Hindu Kush region on Friday. The quake occurred at a great depth, with estimates of about 177 kilometres, which often allows seismic waves to travel farther, which explains why tremors were felt across northern India.
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Possible damage to poorly constructed buildings is suspected, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or casualties.
Where was the epicenter of the earthquake?
The epicenter of the earthquake was near Darawan, Afghanistan, at latitude 36.398 north and longitude 70.878 east.
Residents of Delhi, the National Capital Region and neighboring areas reported feeling mild tremors, with some leaving homes and offices as a precaution. Other parts of northern India also witnessed mild earthquakes, from Kashmir to Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The shaking, which was felt around 9:46 p.m., lasted only a few seconds. Reuters reported that people in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, also felt the tremors.
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Citizens in several areas said they noticed sudden vibrations, especially in multi-storey buildings. A Chandigarh resident said he felt a noticeable tremor for a short time, while another person living on a higher floor in Zirakpur said he thought about going out but the tremors quickly subsided, according to a PTI report.
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In a related development, the National Seismological Center recorded a separate, smaller earthquake measuring 3.8 in Tibet at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. The authorities continue to monitor the situation, while awaiting further details from the affected areas in Afghanistan.
(With inputs from Reuters, PTI)
