5.8-magnitude quake hits U'khand, northern India; no casualties

New Delhi: A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.8 on Richter Scale on Monday hit Uttarakhand, tremors of which were felt in Delhi and other parts of northern India.

The epicentre of the quake was Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand, said J L Gautam, Operations head at the National Seismological Bureau, a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences.

"The depth of the quake was 33 km and it occurred at 10.33 PM," he said.

Uttarakhand, which falls in the Himalayan belt, is known for high seismic activities.

Tremors were felt across Punjab, Haryana and their common capital Chandigarh also after which many people rushed out of their homes.

There were no immediate reports of any loss of life or damage to property.

According to reports, tremors were felt across Haryana and the National Capital Region. People, especially those living in high-rise apartments and buildings, rushed to the ground floor.

Tremors were felt at various places in Haryana including Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak, Ambala, Panchkula, Sonepat, Panipat and Karnal.

In Punjab, tremors were felt at many places including Mohali, Patiala, Ropar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.

Meanwhile, people felt the tremors also in neighbouring Noida of Uttar Pradesh.

"Bed started shaking and the ceiling fan was swinging a little," Sohil Sharma, a resident of sector 20 in Noida, said.

"I was lying on the bed suddenly it started shaking," said Savita Gupta, a resident of sector 21.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked for a detailed report on the earthquake, while National Disaster Response Force has been put on high alert. According to reports, two NDRF teams have been rushed to Rudraprayag, the epicentre of the earthquake.