Strong tremors were felt in Delhi and surrounding areas after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region on Saturday evening.

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake hit Afghanistan at 7.04 pm. Its epicenter was located at a depth of 215 km. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicenter was about 43 kilometres south of Jurm in northeastern Afghanistan.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) also recorded the earthquake and said the tremors spread from Kabul into neighbouring Pakistan. The agency estimated the quake at magnitude 6.0 and said it occurred at a depth of about 100 kilometres.

Tremors felt in Delhi-NCR, Pakistan

Strong tremors were reported across Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and other parts of the NCR. Many residents stepped out of homes, offices and apartment buildings as the ground shook.

In Pakistan, the earthquake was felt in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, reported AP quoting officials. Authorities also confirmed tremors in several districts close to the Afghan border.

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Daniyal Ahmad, a resident of Swat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, described the frightening moments after the earthquake. “It was very huge here in Swat and it lasted for quite a long time,” he told Reuters. “People came out of their houses and women and children were seen crying in panic,” Daniyal said.

Emergency officials in Pakistan placed district administrations on alert soon after the earthquake. Authorities began assessing the situation, but no major damage was reported during the initial inspections.

Any casualties?

Anwar Shahzad, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority, told AP that initial assessments did not find any reports of casualties or destruction.

The earthquake struck just hours after another magnitude 5.4 earthquake was recorded in Pakistan earlier on Saturday, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region experiences frequent earthquakes because it lies along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The constant movement of these plates makes the region one of the most seismically active zones in the world.

Pakistan also remains highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The country has experienced several strong quakes over the years, including the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake in 2005 that killed tens of thousands of people in Pakistan and Kashmir, reported AP.