An earthquake of 6.4 magnitude was reported in Nepal, which caused massive tremors in North Indian cities, including Delhi-NCR, said National Center for Seismology on Friday. The epicentre of the quake was in Nepal at a depth of 10 km, the NCS said. The earthquake occurred on Friday around Ramidanda in Jajarkot district at 23:47 (1802 GMT), Nepal’s National Seismological Center said. Jajarkot is about 500 km west of the capital Kathmandu. There were no immediate details of any damage, reported Reuters.
“This was a big earthquake. We have heard some damage to houses. We are collecting details. So far no reports of human injuries. Police and army have been mobilised,” Suresh Sunar, a top official in Jajarkot, told Reuters.
Many users of X platform (formerly Twitter) said they felt the tremors on Friday night. Here are a few reactions:
Minutes after the tremors in North India, social media was flooded with videos of people coming out of their homes and many said their buildings shook. People also took to social media to share videos of moving articles like fans and chandeliers due to the tremors. People in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and other North Indian cities felt strong tremors and rushed out of their homes. This is the third time in a month that strong quakes have struck Nepal.
Strong tremors were felt in several districts of Uttar Pradesh, including the state capital Lucknow, according to the office of state’s relief commissioner.
Reports of tremors being felt have also come from districts such as Basti, Barabanki, Firozabad, Amethi, Gonda, Pratapgarh, Bhadohi, Bahraich, Gorakhpur and Deoria.
“I was watching TV and felt like little dizzy all of a sudden… then I saw on the TV about earthquake and suddenly I came out of my home,” Tushar, a resident of Noida, told ANI about his experience.
The earthquake measured 6.2 magnitude in Nepal, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said.
Several places in Bihar were also jolted by the earthquake. Apart from the state capital Patna, the tremors were felt in Katihar, Motihari and several other districts along the India-Nepal border.
Panic-stricken people in Patna and Katihar rushed out of their buildings and enquired about the earthquake from others.
“I was lying on the bed and the bed started shaking, I called my sister who was sleeping next to me…when we went to the balcony, there was a lot of noise coming from outside…,” Arti, a resident of Delhi, told ANI.
Ajay Paul, a seismologist who previously worked at Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, said the series of earthquakes in Nepal means the central belt is actively releasing energy and that people should be prepared for more such earthquakes in future, reported India Today.
“I first thought the tremors were because of a passing vehicle, but soon saw the ceiling fan shaking. It went on for a while,” Rupesh Upadhyay, a resident of a high-rise apartment in Noida, told PTI. Some also carried their pet cats and dogs with them as they rushed out of their houses during the quake.
With inputs from India Today and agencies
