6.2 magnitude earthquake in Nepal; aftershocks felt in north India
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New Delhi: The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported on Tuesday that four earthquakes, the biggest of which had a magnitude of 6.2, suddenly rocked Nepal with tremors echoing into regions of north India, including Delhi-NCR.
An NCS official said that at 2:25 PM, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck west of Nepal at a depth of 10 kilometres, followed by a 6.2 magnitude shock at 2:51 PM.
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 pm and 3:19 pm, 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 zones IV and V) of the world, making the country extremely vulnerable to earthquakes.
According to the US 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.
With PTI inputs