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Earthquake tremors were felt across northern India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan on Wednesday afternoon. Residents in Peshawar, Islamabad, and Lahore in Pakistan, as well as New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir in India reported feeling the tremors.
The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) confirmed that a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan. The quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles). The National Center for Seismology also reported the earthquake hit Pakistan at 12:58 pm (IST) today.
Seismic Activity in Delhi
This is the second instance of mild tremors in Delhi and its surrounding areas within two weeks. On August 29, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan at a depth of 255 kilometers beneath the Earth's surface. Videos on social media showed ceiling fans and chairs shaking briefly during the tremors.
A user from Bikaner, Rajasthan commented, "Major tremors felt in Delhi NCR." However, HT could not independently verify this claim. Delhi is prone to earthquakes due to its location in an active seismic zone near the Himalayas.
Seismic Zones in India
India is divided into four seismic zones, with Zone V being the most seismically active. Delhi falls under Zone IV. The seismicity around Delhi is linked to a major geological structure known as the Delhi-Hardwar Ridge. This ridge coincides with the extension of the Aravali Mountain belt beneath the alluvial plains of the Ganga basin towards the Himalayan mountains.
Recent Earthquakes in Pakistan
In June, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Pakistan including Islamabad. No loss of life or property was reported then. The National Seismic Monitoring Centre noted that tremors were felt across various regions including Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Swat, Malakand, North Waziristan, Parachinar, Lower Dir, Hangu, Charsadda, and Swabi.
Pakistan frequently experiences earthquakes as it lies on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Large parts of South Asia are seismically active because the Indian tectonic plate pushes north into the Eurasian plate.
On May 2nd this year, a 2.3-magnitude earthquake affected parts of Karachi including Gadap Town and Katohar areas of Malir district. Earlier on March 13th, a 5.3-magnitude quake shook various regions of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
A devastating earthquake hit Pakistan in 2005 with a magnitude of 7.4 resulting in over 74,000 deaths.
No reports of material damage have surfaced yet from today's earthquake and further details are awaited.
