New Delhi: Hours after early morning earthquake tremors shook the national capital Delhi, and neighbouring areas like Ghaziabad and Noida on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to stay calm and follow safety precautions.
In a message on social media platform X, PM Modi also urged people to remain alert for possible aftershocks.
“Tremors were felt in Delhi and nearby areas. Urging everyone to stay calm and follow safety precautions, staying alert for possible aftershocks. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation,” shared PM Modi on X.
Tremors were felt in Delhi and nearby areas. Urging everyone to stay calm and follow safety precautions, staying alert for possible aftershocks. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 17, 2025
Where was epicentre of earthquake in Delhi today?
Tremors of 4.0 on Richter Scale were felt in Delhi and neighbouring areas at around 5.36am on Monday. As per the National Center for Seismology, the earthquake, with epicentre New Delhi, struck at a depth of five kilometres. The epicentre was near Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education in Dhaula Kuan, an official told PTI.
There were no immediate reports of any damage or injuries.
That region, which has a lake nearby, has been experiencing smaller, low-magnitude quakes once every two to three years. It recorded an earthquake of 3.3 magnitude in 2015.
Panicked residents run out homes in Delhi, Noida
Poeple were seen running out of their houses in panic after early morning jolts. A woman in her 50s who was out on a morning walk in E Block of Noida Sector 20, said, “‘Hum log bahar park me walk kar rahe the toh pata nahin chala. Lekin kafi tej tha. Log bahar aa gaye. (We were walking in the park, so we didn’t feel it strongly. But it was quite strong. People came rushing out)’.” Visuals from PTI Videos showed people waiting outside their homes across Delhi-NCR, fearful of any aftershock.
History of earthquakes in Delhi-NCR
The National Capital Territory (NCT) region of Delhi is located about 250 kilometres from the seismically-active Himalayan collision zone and frequently experiences far- and near-field shaking due to Himalayan and local sources, respectively.
A 3.5-magnitude quake on April 12, 2020 and a 3.4-magnitude one on May 10, 2020, in northeast Delhi and a 4.4-magnitude earthquake on May 29, 2020, near Rohtak (about 50 kilometres west of Delhi), followed by more than a dozen aftershocks, sparked panic in the densely populated habitat.
Delhi is placed in Seismic Zone IV in the seismic zoning map of India. This intraplate region is exposed to moderate to high risk due to Himalayan earthquakes.
