New Delhi: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on Saturday afternoon, triggering tremors that were felt across parts of northern India, including Kashmir and Delhi-NCR. The epicentre was located in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border area, a region prone to seismic activity due to tectonic movements.
Mild to moderate tremors were felt in the Kashmir Valley and Delhi-NCR, prompting panic among residents. A video from Kashmir showed people rushing out of a building moments after the ground began to shake. A local resident in Srinagar said, “I felt the tremor while I was in the office-my chair started shaking.
Another video from Kashmir showed ceiling fans swaying inside homes moments after the earthquake, capturing the intensity of the tremors that rippled through the region. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage from either side of the border. The quake, which occurred at a depth of 75 km, is strong enough to potentially cause significant damage near the epicentre.
A larger threat still is posed by Delhi’s proximity to the Himalayas, a mountain range caused by one of the largest tectonic plate collisions in the planet over millions of years, a crush that continues even today, potentially building geologic pressure.
Delhi, which lies in seismic zone 4 — categorised as a high damage risk zone — faces significant structural vulnerabilities. Municipal officials report that more than 60% of the city’s buildings are over two decades old, with over 75% of construction in corporation areas failing to comply with building regulations, including the more than 1,799 unauthorised colonies.