Mild tremors were felt in Delhi and parts of northern India this afternoon after 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan. The tremors were felt even in Pakistan.
"Earthquake of Magnitude:6.1, Occurred on 11-01-2024, 14:50:24 IST, Lat: 36.48 & Long: 70.45, Depth: 220 Km ,Location: Afghanistan," said National Center for Seismology in a post on X.
The epicentre for the quake was 241 kilometres of northeast of Kabul, it said.
There were no immediate reports of any injury or destruction.
The tremors triggered panic among people, with many in the national capital and surrounding areas reported shaking of furniture.
Earthquakes are frequent in Afghanistan and in the west and centre of the country, they are mostly caused by the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates jutting against each other.
Most homes in rural Afghanistan are made of mud and built around wooden support poles, with little in the way of steel or concrete reinforcement. Multi-generational extended families generally live under the same roof, meaning serious earthquakes can devastate communities.
A series of earthquakes shook the country last year, killing more than 1,000 people.
Delhi and the National Capital Region falls under seismic zone IV, and is quite vulnerable to earthquakes. The Delhi government is even considering proposals to form its own State Disaster Response Force or SDRF and set up a control room comprising staff from multiple agencies, furthering its aim to improve disaster preparedness in the national capital.
Revenue Minister Atishi received a proposal from her department for constituting the SDRF team in December, owing to the national capital witnessing frequent tremors and the massive floods that affected parts of the city last year.
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