New Delhi: Delhi and several parts of northern India experienced strong tremors on Wednesday after an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale struck on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
The tremors were felt around 12.42 pm in the Delhi-NCR region.
Strong tremors were also felt in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, covering a vast stretch of North India.
The tremors triggered panic in the national capital forcing people to evacuate residential buildings and office complexes.
However, no loss of life or any damage to property has been reported from Delhi and the adjoining areas due to the earthquake.
According to initial reports, the intensity of the earthquake was measured 6.8 on the Richter Scale.
The epicentre of the earthquake is believed to be very close to Jarm in Afghanistan.
''Tremors felt in parts of north India following a 6.2M earthquake on Afghanistan-Kazakhstan border,'' the IMD said.
However, the US Geological Survey said, ''The earthquake, said to be 6.1 on the Richter scale, struck at a depth of 178-km in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, in Badakhshan province.''
An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 occurred in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region 14 minutes ago: EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) had initially claimed.
Strong aftershock and tremors were felt in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
EMSC said that the earthquake was potentially felt by 270 million inhabitants.
The #earthquake has been potentially felt by 270 millions inhabitants pic.twitter.com/v2YkAEHfIp
— EMSC (@LastQuake) January 31, 2018
Social media posts indicate significant damage has been caused by the earthquake in Pakistan and areas adjoining the Hindu Kush region.
According to Pakistan's Geo TV, a minor girl was reportedly killed and nine injured as the roof of a house collapsed in Bela town of Lasbela.
A school building collapsed in Pakistan's Balochistan province following the earthquake.
There were reports of tremors in various towns of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Islamabad, besides Afghanistan and India.
In Pakistan, government buildings, including the Supreme Court and Parliament, were also evacuated as the tremors struck.
Meanwhile, several users from India and Pakistan took to Twitter to spread the news and shared pictures of evacuation in their respective areas seconds after the tremors were felt.
