Four earthquakes, the strongest being of magnitude 6.2, jolted Nepal in quick succession with tremors reverberating through parts of north India including Delhi-NCR, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said on October 3.
An NCS official said the first quake of magnitude 4.6 struck west Nepal at a depth of 10 kilometres at 2:25 p.m., followed by the 6.2 magnitude jolt at 2:51 p.m.
Two more quakes (magnitude 3.6 and 3.1) hit the same region at a depth of 15 km and 10 km at 3:06 p.m. and 3:19 p.m., respectively.
The epicentre for the strongest quake was 206 km southeast of the pilgrimage town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand and 284 north of Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow.
People in Delhi and the National Capital Region reported strong tremors after the second quake and rushed out of their offices and high-rise residential buildings. The Delhi Police urged them not to panic.
“We hope you all are safe. Please come out of your buildings to a safe spot, but do not panic. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS! For any emergency help, dial 112,” it said in a post on X.
Tremors were felt in Chandigarh, Jaipur and other parts of north India as well. The Police control room in the pink city said there was no information yet about losses.
Nepal lies in one of the most active tectonic zones (seismic zone IV and V) of the world, making the country extremely vulnerable to earthquakes.
According to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, 2015, killing more than 8,000 people and injuring over 21,000.
