6.8 quake jolts Pak, N India, sparks panic

A powerful earthquake clocking 6.8 on the Richter scale, epicentred in Hindukush mountain range in Afghanistan, jolted several parts of north India, including the Delhi NCR region, forcing people out of their homes and creating panic.

There were no reports of loss of lives or property in the country, while the quaked jolted many parts of Pakistan, killing three. Pakistani authorities said the earthquake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale.

A mild quake measuring 3.4, with its epicentre in Nandvi town, also shook Surat and Tapi districts of south Gujarat.

According to J L Gautam, Operations Head of National Centre for Seismology, “The earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale at a depth of 190 km hit Hindukush mountain region at 3:58 pm.” Tremors were also felt in large parts of north India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, besides Delhi National Capital Region. The Sunday afternoon tremors left people scampering out of homes.

Delhi Metro services were briefly suspended following the temblor. Trains were also operated at restricted speeds for about 30-35 minutes, a senior DMRC official said. “Tremors were felt at around 4 pm. All trains were stopped and resumed their journey after 2-3 minutes at a precautionary speed of less than 40kmph,” the official said. “By 4.35 pm, train services were running at normal speeds on all lines,” he said.

The tremors were also felt by people who were moving in vehicles on the road. Cars halted abruptly and many motorists pulled over by the roadside.