Earthquake in Afghanistan, tremors felt in Delhi, adjoining areas
Highlights
- Earthquake in Delhi and National Capital Territory at about 12.40 pm
- Epicentre of earthquake measuring 6.1 was in Afghanistan
- Strong tremors in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan today, with tremors felt in Delhi and neighbouring Haryana and Punjab. The tremors that lasted a few seconds were strongly felt in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake measuring 6.1 struck at a depth of 190 km in the Hindu Kush region.
In Delhi and the National Capital Region, frightened people ran out of their homes, shops and offices. Many posted on social media that they felt the tremors. The lights shook in television studios.
Delhi Metro also halted operations - briefly.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Srinagar where people came out on roads in panic. A girder of an under-construction flyover slipped off pillars near Aloochibagh in Srinagar after the quake, an official told news agency PTI. However, no one was injured in the incident, he said.
Across the border in Pakistan, at least one infant was killed and nine of her family members were injured in Balochistan province, following the collapse of a roof on their home, a local official said.
"The injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Emergency has been declared in all hospitals," he said. Rescue teams were also dispatched to the nearby Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to assess reports of damage.
The epicentre of the earthquake was near Afghanistan's Jarm, which was hit by a devastating 7.5 magnitude quake in October 2015 that triggered landslides and flattened buildings, killing more than 380 people across the region.
Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
(With inputs from agency)