Strong earthquake tremors were felt in northern India including the Delhi-NCR region after a 6.6 quake struck northern Afghanistan on Tuesday evening.
According to reports, the earthquake was felt in Turkmenistan, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
“As we know that the Indo Australian plate is colliding with the Eurasian plate and this release happened in that region. The HKH region is very active seismologically. The reason why people in northwest India and Delhi felt is for relatively longer time is because of the depth. The depth of the fault is over 150 km so first primary waves were felt and then secondary waves. Aftershocks are likely now but they can’t be Forecast”, J L Gautam, head of office and Scientist at National Center for Seismology, said.
People rushed out of their homes as the earthquake tremors lasted for several seconds in the northern Indian states including Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
The Delhi Fire Services said that they have received a call about the tilting of a building in Shakarpur area. Later on, it was found that the good intention call was made by the neighbour of the building and there was no tilt.
A Noida resident said he first noticed the dining table shaking. “Soon after we saw that the fans were also shaking. The earthquake was strong in terms of intensity and stayed for a longer period,” the resident of Hyde Park society in Noida told PTI.
A strong tremor lasting for at least 30 seconds was felt in Afghanistan, Pakistan and some parts of India on Tuesday night. According to National Centre for Seismology, a earthquake of 6.6-magnitude struck 133 km southeast of Fayzabad in Afghanistan. It was at a depth of 156 km.
As the earthquake shook the residential building, terrified residents fled into the open space. Deaths have been recorded in Afghanistan and Pakistan as a result of the earthquake, but no casualties have been reported in India thus far.
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What caused the earthquake? Top scientist answers
“The Hindu-Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region is very active seismologically. The reason why people in northwest India and Delhi felt it for relatively longer time is because of the depth. The depth of the fault is over 150 km so primary waves were felt at first followed by secondary waves. Aftershocks are likely now but they can’t be forecast,” said J L Gautam, head of office and Scientist at National Center for Seismology.
Dos and don’ts during earthquake
1. Keep calm: During an earthquake, it is important to not panic and remain calm. One can switch on their TV or radio and obey any instructions you hear on it.
2. Drop down onto your hands and knees to protect yourself from falling, cover your head and neck and go underneath a study table or desk.
3. If you are inside, stay inside: Running outside or to other rooms during an earthquake may increase the chances of one being injured. The CDC suggests that one should remain inside and move away from glass, hanging objects, bookcases, china cabinets, or other large furniture that could fall. Similarly, if you are outside, stay outside and go to an open area away from trees, telephone poles, and buildings.
(This story has not been edited by News Mania staff and is published from a Media Release)
