6.8 quake strikes Hindu Kush belt, leaves North India rattled

According to information, two persons died and four others injured after the earthquake struck several parts of Pakistan.

In north India, tremors were felt in Jammu and Kashmir,Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana, besides Delhi. Delhi Metro services were also halted for few minutes. 

The quake was felt for a few seconds in Kabul and in Islamabad, where some residents evacuated apartment blocks after tremors shook ceiling fans and furniture.

However, there were no reports of loss of lives or property in north India. A mild quake measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre in Nandvi town, also shook Surat and Tapi districts of south Gujarat but no casualties were reported.

According to JL 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.”

The Sunday afternoon tremors left people scampering out of their homes. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was in Delhi Secretariat when the tremors were felt tweeted, “earthquake!!! It was really scary! I could see plants and furniture shaking at 6th floor office of Delhi secretariat. Wish all is well”.

“Service was halted briefly after the quake but we resumed operations soon after,” a Delhi Metro official said. Delhi Fire Department and police officials said control rooms have not received any calls reporting major damage or collapse of any buildings. Surat District Collector Rajender Kumar said the low- intensity quake had its epicentre at Nandvi town near Surat.

“We have received reports of mild tremor with epicentre near Nandvi town. No reports of loss of life or property have been received,” he said.

Tapi’s Kakrapar town, which houses a nuclear power plant, also experienced the tremor, but there was no report of any damage to the facility.