On Monday, people woke up with when a massive earthquake jolted the Delhi-NCR region at around 5:36 AM. The tremors were felt in Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram and other adjoining areas. According to National Centre of Seismology, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck the region with its epicentre in New Delhi.
People who witnessed the quake during the rush hour said that they never felt such strong tremors as everything was shaking. As of now, there are no reports of any damage or loss of lives. According to National Centre For Seismology, the dept of the earthquake was just 5 Kms beneath the earth’s surface. The tremors rocked the region for an amount of time as it went upto several seconds.
The strong tremors first hit the region at about 5:36 AM. People in Delhi-NCR region said that they woke upto to strong tremors as everything was shaking and many said they never witnessed such a strong earthquake in this region. As people woke upto to strong tremors, a vendor at the New Delhi railway station, who experienced the early morning earthquake said, “Everything was shaking, customers started screaming”. A passenger awaiting his train at New Delhi railway station said, “We felt as if any train was running here underground. Everything was shaking.”
#WATCH | An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.0 jolts the national capital and surrounding areas | At New Delhi railway station, a vendor Anish says, "Everything was shaking…customers started screaming…" pic.twitter.com/cSgt2BZaS5
— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2025
Several others who had just woken up and were getting ready during the rush hour said that it was a strong earthquake as windows, doors, beds were shaking badly as they rushed out of their homes. Delhi has a history of tremors that have caused damages on several occasions including loss of lives. Though the magnitude of the earthquake was just 4.0 on the Richter scale, people still felt it was a strong earthquake because the epicentre was in New Delhi and its depth being just 5 kms.
Since the magnitude was 4.0, the earthquake waves couldn’t travel for a larger distance and it is less likely that it would have caused any damages. Just three hours after Delhi’s quake, an earthquake of magnitude 4 struck Bihar’s Siwan district at 8:27 am. The quake originated from a depth of 10 kilometers, making it another shallow earthquake.
Experts warn that shallow earthquakes, occurring at depths of five to ten kilometers, pose a higher risk of damage. Fortunately, no casualties or structural damage have been reported in either Delhi or Bihar. Acting Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and former CM Arvind Kejriwal urged citizens to stay alert and prayed for their safety. Authorities continue monitoring the situation for potential aftershocks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on X, “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”.
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