NEW DELHI: Strong tremors were felt across north and east India and parts of Nepal after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal.
Tremors were felt at 2:28 pm across Delhi-NCR, and lasted for almost 30 seconds, making many people rush out of buildings in panic.
The National Centre for Seismology said the quake struck at 2.28 pm and the epicentre was located in western Nepal, about 148 km east of Pithoragarh in the border state of Uttarakhand.
The epicentre of the earthquake was the border of Himali Village Council of Bajura and Humla’s Tajakot in Nepal, where several houses reportedly collapsed. No casualties were reported.
A senior seismologist said the epicentre of the quake was located in the 2,400 km Himalayan Collision Zone that stretches from the Hindukush mountain ranges to as far as present-day Myanmar.
The Himalayan Collision Zone is a seismically active region and the 5.8 magnitude temblor was the fourth earthquake along the 2,400 km region in the 24 hours ending 3 pm on Tuesday.
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake had hit the Cachar region of Assam on Monday at 7:12 pm and two quakes of 3.2 and 2.8 magnitudes were reported in Bhutan at 10:55 am and 12:53 pm on Tuesday.
Reports of shaking furniture, ceiling fans and wall frames came from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan as the strong tremors struck the Himalayan region.
In Delhi, many residents expressed concern about the safety of buildings. “Unplanned urbanisation can lead to serious destruction during strong earthquakes. Increased seismic activity at frequent intervals has been posing a threat in the region,” said Neeraj Kumar Singh, a resident of Noida, who has been raising the issue before the authorities for over a decade.
Many others in the towering Civic Centre, the headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, also felt the tremors which hit when the House proceedings were underway.
Tremors were felt in parts of Rajasthan's capital city of Jaipur as well.
(With PTI inputs)