5.8-magnitude earthquake rocks Pakistan, tremors felt in Delhi-NCR, other states
Earthquake today: Earthquake tremors were felt in Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Earthquake today news updates: Earthquake tremors were felt across north India, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday afternoon. Netizens claimed that they felt tremors in Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan, and New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir in India.
The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 has struck Pakistan. The quake was at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles), GFZ said.
“An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter Scale hit Pakistan at 12:58 pm (IST) today,” the National Center for Seismology said.
No reports of material damage have surfaced yet. Further details are awaited.
This is the second occurrence of mild tremors in Delhi and its surrounding areas within two weeks. On August 29, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan, originating 255 kilometers beneath the Earth's surface.
Videos circulating on social media showed ceiling fans, chairs, and other objects shaking briefly during the tremors. A user from Bikaner, Rajasthan, commented, “Major tremors felt in Delhi NCR.”
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the claim.
Delhi is prone to earthquakes due to its location in an active seismic zone near the Himalayas. India is divided into four seismic zones, with Zone V being the most seismically active. Delhi falls under Zone IV.
Seismicity around Delhi appears to be associated with a major geological structure, which is known as the Delhi-Hardwar Ridge. It coincides with the extension of the Aravali Mountain belt beneath the alluvial plains of the Ganga basin to the northeast of Delhi towards the Himalayan mountain (Jain,1996).
Earthquakes in Pakistan
In June, an earthquake of 4.7 magnitude jolted parts of Pakistan, including the capital Islamabad. However, no loss of life or property was reported.
According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the tremors of the earthquake with epicentre at the southeastern region of Afghanistan and a depth of 98 kilometres were felt across various regions, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Swat, Malakand, North Waziristan, Parachinar, Lower Dir, Hangu, Charsadda, and Swabi.
Pakistan frequently faces quakes as the country is situated on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Large parts of South Asia are seismically active because the Indian tectonic plate pushes north into the Eurasian plate.
On May 2, a 2.3-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of the metropolis including Gadap Town, Katohar and adjoining areas of Malir district.
On March 13, an earthquake of 5.3 magnitude shook various regions of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
A deadly quake hit Pakistan in 2005 when a 7.4 intensity tremor killed more than 74,000 people.
(With inputs from agencies)
