On Wednesday afternoon, earthquake tremors were felt across north India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 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. ‘An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 has struck Pakistan and the quake was at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles)’, said the German Research Center for Geosciences.
The National Center for Seismology said, ‘An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter Scale hit Pakistan at 12:58 pm (IST)’. Within two weeks, this is the second occurrence of mild tremors in Delhi and its surrounding areas. 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.”
Delhi, due to its location is prone to earthquakes in an active seismic zone near the Himalayas. Notably, 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).
However, 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.
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