Massive 6.3 magnitude earthquake hits Tajikistan, tremors jolt north India: First-hand account of people’s reaction

A high-intensity earthquake of 6.3 magnitude hit Tajikistan on Friday night, tremors of which were felt in several other parts of north India, The tremors created panic among people who rushed out of their homes. However, there were no reports of any loss of life or damage to property.

New Delhi: A high-intensity earthquake hit Tajikistan on Friday night, tremors of which were felt in several other parts of north India, including Delhi-NCR. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the magnitude of the earthquake was 6.3 in Tajikistan. In Delhi, the magnitude was 4.2 on the Richter scale and the epicentre was in Rajasthan's Alwar.

In Afghanistan, the magnitude was 7.5 on the Richter scale and the epicentre was Faizabad. According to the National Center for Seismology, the tremors took place at 10.34 pm (IST) at a depth of 10 km and 35 km SSW of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.

The tremors created panic among people who rushed out of their homes. However, there were no reports of any loss of life or damage to property. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was virtually interacting with students of the University of Chicago, was heard saying that his entire room was "shaking".

National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah said the tremors reminded the people of the 2005 quake in Jammu and Kashmir. "Not since the earthquake of 2005 have the tremors in Srinagar been bad enough to force me out of the house. I grabbed a blanket & ran. I didn't remember to take my phone & so was unable to tweet 'earthquake' while the damn ground was shaking," he tweeted.

Not since the earthquake of 2005 have the tremors in Srinagar been bad enough to force me out of the house. I grabbed a blanket & ran. I didn’t remember to take my phone & so was unable to tweet “earthquake” while the damn ground was shaking.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 12, 2021

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said in a tweet, "No reports of any damage so far in Amritsar or other parts of Punjab following the earthquake. Top officials of Punjab police and local administration are keeping a close watch on the situation. Praying for everyone's safety." 

No reports of any damage so far in Amritsar or other parts of Punjab following the #earthquake. Top officials of @PunjabPoliceInd & local administration are keeping a close watch on the situation. Praying for everyone’s safety. https://t.co/DKNNvFMPwE

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 12, 2021

Deputy Commissioner Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Khaira said all his officers are on their toes and police PCR vehicles are moving in the city. Police Commissioner Amritsar Sukchain Singh Gill said everything was normal at the Golden Temple too and volunteers were doing ''sewa'' as usual.

In Chandigarh, Class 11 student Aditya, who was preparing for his school exams, said: "I thought somebody was pushing my chair."

In the Pawan Nagar area of Amritsar, people came out of their houses following tremors. Pankaj, a resident said "The tremors were very strong. We came outside and saw people were already gathered here.

Another resident Vinod said, "I saw my bed was shaking and I came outside with my family. People were standing outside. The tremors were strong." Residents of several localities also came out of their houses in Jalandhar as the earthquake hit several parts of Punjab.

At around 10:30 PM, I felt strong tremors. When I saw some people coming out of their houses in my neighbourhood, I realised that it was an earthquake," said Ashish Verma, a shopkeeper in the Rajinder Nagar area of Delhi.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal prayed for the safety of people. According to the Delhi Fire Department, no calls were immediately received for help.

Earthquake tremors felt in Delhi. Praying for everyone's safety. https://t.co/8fU8TGQLiE

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 12, 2021

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra also tweeted about the tremors and prayed for well-being of all. The Himalayan and the Hindukush mountain ranges are prone to quakes and many a time its tremors can be felt across the Indo-Gangetic belt.