By IANS,
New Delhi : Tremors were felt across north India, including the national capital, Chandigarh and Shimla, following a 5.7 magnitude earthquake centred at the India-Nepal border Monday evening. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
According to R.S. Dattatreya, director of seismology department, the tremors were felt at 5.02 p.m.
“The epicentre was at the India-Nepal border. The latitude was 29.6 degree north and the longitude was 80.8 degree east,” Dattatreya said.
“It was a moderate earthquake,” he added.
There have been no reports of any damage because of the earthquake.
“The tremors were also felt in Shimla town,” Met Office director Manmohan Singh told IANS in the Himachal Pradesh capital.
Chandigarh and surrounding towns in Haryana and Punjab reported mild tremors too.
“In this region, it was comparatively mild, and so far no reports of damage and casualties have come in from Punjab and Haryana,” an official in Chandigarh said.
However, there was panic in some areas with people in upper floorsof residential blocks rushing downstairs.
Said Rajiv Mathur, an advertising professional who was at his work station in his three-storeyed office building in New Delhi: “I was in the middle of some work, when suddenly the glass panels started rattling. Before I realised what was happening, my colleagues started screaming that it was an earthquake and we ran down the stairs”.
Shalini Sharma, another Delhi resident said: “I felt the tremors and immediately went out of the house with my daughter. Thankfully, it was not very strong and didn’t last long.”
Chandigarh homemaker Bhanu Kehar also rushed out of her house. “I live on the third floor and I was in the kitchen when I felt the jerks. We got frightened and we immediately ran downstairs,” she told IANS.
However, there were many who didn’t feel the tremors.
“I was walking back home when the earthquake is supposed to have happened, but I didn’t feel anything,” said Sharmistha Das, a Delhi student.