'Scary' tremors felt in Delhi-NCR as 4.4 earthquake hits Haryana

New Delhi: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 struck near Jhajjar in Haryana, sending tremors across the Delhi-NCR region. The epicentre was 3 km northeast of Jhajjar and 51 km west of Delhi. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km at 9.04 am, the National Centre for Seismology said.

Delhi residents told the media that the tremors were scary and vehicles were found shaking. The tremors were felt around 9.04 am and lasted for a minute. The strong tremors sparked panic as people rushed outside their offices and homes.

No casualties or damage have been reported so far, but authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) issued an advisory, urging people to follow the 'dos and don'ts' to ensure their and their family's safety before, during and after an earthquake.

While details of the quake and its effect are awaited, netizens in the Delhi-NCR claimed it to be "the longest earthquake" they have felt in a "very long time."

Speaking to IANS, a Noida resident said, "It was a very strong earthquake, and we were all terrified. But thankfully, it didn't last long."
"There were strong jolts. We were very scared. We just ran outside," another told IANS.

"I could see the fan moving. We immediately ran out of our houses," a Delhi resident told IANS.
"I was working on my laptop when I felt the chair moving. Then I looked at the fan, and it was also moving. I quickly ran out of my home," a local of Delhi said.

Though no major earthquake was reported in New Delhi, small to moderate tremors jolted the city occasionally.

Earlier, a minor earthquake of 2.3 magnitude with an epicentre in South East Delhi struck on June 8. No damage or casualties were reported during this. In February this year, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake with an epicentre in Dhaula Kuan caused strong tremors across Delhi-NCR.

In April, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan's Hindu Kush. The tremors were also felt in Delhi. No loss of life was reported. The strongest earthquake recorded in Delhi's history was a 6.0 magnitude earthquake on August 27, 1960.