Residents in Delhi-NCR felt tremors as a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Indian subcontinent on Wednesday afternoon.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in Pakistan and it originated under a depth of 33 kilometers from the surface, stated the National Centre for Seismology.
No damage to property was reported in the city, it added.
This marks the second instance of mild jolt felt in the city and its surrounding areas within two weeks. On August 29, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan 255 kilometers beneath the surface and its tremors were felt in the Indian capital city too.
Several users took to social media platform X posting videos of shaking ceiling fans, chairs and other objects during the jolts.
The capital city is prone to earthquakes due to several geological reasons. Firstly it lies close to several significant fault lines, particularly the Mahendragarh-Dehradun Fault, the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT), and the Delhi-Haridwar Ridge.
These faults are part of the larger Indian tectonic plate system that is colliding with the Eurasian plate, creating immense tectonic stress and this collision leads to frequent seismic activity in the region.
Secondly, the Himalayan region north of Delhi, is one of the most seismically active zones in the world due to the ongoing collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates.
As stress builds up in the Himalayan region, it can be released in the form of earthquakes, some of which can affect the Delhi-NCR area.