6.2 earthquake hits Afghanistan; strong tremors felt in north India

New Delhi: Strong tremors were felt across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and several other north Indian states on Saturday evening after a strong earthquake struck Afghanistan.

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre located in Afghanistan. The tremors were also felt in Pakistan, including the capital city of Islamabad, Swat, Hangu, North Waziristan, Chitral, and Rawalpindi, as well as in China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.

The tremors triggered panic in parts of New Delhi, with residents rushing out of their homes and offices.  “The quake occurred at 7:04 pm IST at a depth of 215 kilometres, with tremors felt across parts of Pakistan and northwest India. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage,” a weather report said.

Owing to its significant depth, the tremors were experienced across a wide geographical area. However, deep-focus earthquakes are generally less likely to cause extensive damage at the surface, the report said. “India recorded a shallow 3.2-magnitude earthquake in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district on June 27,” the NCS said earlier in the day.

The NCS said the quake struck at 11:38 am IST at a depth of 5 km, with its epicentre located about 22 km north-northwest of Dharamsala in the seismically active Himalayan belt. The tremor was classified as low intensity, and there were no reports of damage or casualties. The latest earthquakes come just days after twin earthquakes in Venezuela reportedly killed 920 people and injured thousands.