Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged people in the region to stay calm and follow safety precautions while keeping alert for possible aftershocks after strong earthquake of magnitude 4 jolted north India.
PM Modi took to X and said, "Tremors were felt in Delhi and nearby areas. Urging everyone to stay calm and follow safety precautions, staying alert for possible aftershocks. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation."
The National Center for Seismology said that the epicentre of the quake was in the Jheel Park area of Dhaula Kuan and there were some reports of people hearing a loud sound as the ground shook.
The earthquake struck at a focal depth of five kilometres at 5:36 am. The latest earthquake is concerning as shallow earthquakes, originating 5 or 10 kilometres below the surface, tend to cause more damage than those originating deep below the surface.
Delhi's acting CM Atishi also reacted to the tremors and said, "A strong earthquake just hit Delhi. I pray to God that everyone is safe." Reacting to her post, Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi CM and AAP national convener, prayed for the safety of everyone.
Earthquakes in Delhi
Notably, Delhi is placed in Seismic Zone IV on the seismic zoning map of India, the second highest in the country. In the last few years, the national capital has felt many earthquakes including, a 3.5-magnitude quake on April 12, 2020, a 3.4-magnitude one on May 10, 2020, in northeast Delhi and a 4.4-magnitude earthquake on May 29, 2020, near Rohtak (about 50 kilometres west of Delhi), followed by more than a dozen aftershocks, sparked panic in the densely populated habitat.
(With PTI Inputs)