5.8 magnitude quake hits Nepal, tremors felt in northwest India

5.8 magnitude quake hits Nepal, tremors felt in northwest India

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on Tuesday afternoon with tremors also being felt in the northwestern region of India, including Delhi and Jaipur.

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.

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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.

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 p.m. on Tuesday.

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake had hit the Cachar region of Assam on Monday at 7:12 p.m. and two quakes of 3.2 and 2.8 magnitudes were reported in Bhutan at 10:55 a.m. and 12:53 p.m. on Tuesday.

In a tweet in Hindi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “Tremors were felt in Delhi. I hope all of you are safe.”

“It was scary as the tremors hit,” said Shantanu, who resides in a high-rise tower in Noida.

Amit Pandey, a Delhi resident, said, “I was on the fifth floor of one of the blocks at the Civic Centre. I felt a growling noise beneath my feet and a mild shake, when the tremor passed through perhaps.”

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. There was no immediate report of loss of life or property from there.

Tremors were felt in many parts of Uttarakhand, including Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, and people came out of their homes and offices in panic.

There was no immediate reports of damage to property and injury to anyone, officials said.

New Delhi, Jan. 24 (PTI)