NEW DELHI
Panic gripped Delhiites on Sunday as tremors from an earthquake that hit the Hindukush region of Afghanistan prompted people to rush out of their homes, while Metro services were also briefly affected.
There were no reports of any injuries or damage to property here as a result of the tremors, which saw high-rises and malls being evacuated as a precautionary measure.
“The earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale at a depth of 190km hit the Hindukush mountain region at 3:58 pm,” said JL Gautam, Operations Head of National Centre for Seismology.
As the tremors were felt, people in high-rises rushed outside to safety while the services of Delhi Metro were halted for about three minutes. Trains were also operated at restricted speeds for about 30-35 minutes, a senior DMRC official said.
“Tremors were felt at around 4 pm. All trains were stopped and resumed their journey after 2-3 minutes at a precautionary speed of less than 40 kmph,” the official said.
“By 4:35 pm, train services were running at normal speeds on all lines. No damage to our property was reported from anywhere,” he added.
The tremors were also felt by people who were moving in vehicles on the road. Cars halted abruptly and many motorists pulled over by the roadside.
Earlier report on pg 10
