Low-Intensity Earthquake strikes New Delhi, adjoining areas

NEW DELHI: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 hit parts of Delhi and adjoining areas, the third in less than a month, according to the Indian National Center for Seismology.

India’s Met Department Director Seismology said, “Intensity was 3.4 on the Richter Scale. The epicentre was near Delhi-UP Border, the same area where tremors were felt a few weeks ago.” However, there were no immediate reports of any damage to property.

An official of the Indian National Geophysical Research Institute said that the region around Delhi is known for seismic activities.

“Areas adjoining Delhi witness smaller quakes every 10 days as it is on the Delhi-Aravalli fault line. Since they are in neighbouring areas and of small magnitudes, they don’t garner much attention,” he added.

This is the third earthquake to hit the city with Delhi-UP Border as its epicentre since the lockdown to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Two earthquakes – one measuring 2.7 magnitudes and the other measuring 3.5 on the Richter Scale – had hit the city last month. The epicentre of both these earthquakes was reported in the same region.

Delhi falls under the fourth of the five seismic zones. The city, however, feels tremors when a quake occurs even as far as central Asia or in the Himalayan range, which is a high seismic zone.