Earthquake tremors spark panic among residents of Delhi, other parts of North India

New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): The earthquake tremours on Tuesday evening caused panic among people across several cities in North India.
People in north India including in Delhi and adjoining areas felt earthquake tremors on Tuesday evening with many people coming to open spaces as a precautionary measure.
National Centre for Seismology said that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 on the Richter Scale hit 133km SSE of Fayzabad, Afghanistan today at 10:17 pm.
Following the tremours, Delhi Fire Services received calls regarding tilted buildings and cracks appearing in buildings from Jamia Nagar, Kalkaji and Shahdara areas.
Fire services teams rushed to these areas to take stock of the situation. However, authorities later confirmed that no tilting was found in buildings due to the earthquake.
"A PCR call regarding the tilting of a building in Shakarpur area was received due to the earthquake. Police, PCR, Fire brigade and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) reached the spot. Apparently, no crack or tilt was observed in the building. The caller said he called as he suspected tilt," said Delhi Police.
According to Delhi Police, DDMA was suggested to inform Municipal Corporation of Delhi )MCD) regarding the physical inspection by civil engineers.

Sub Divisional Magistrate, Preet Vihar Rajender Kumar said, "An information was received that a building was tilted in Shakarpur area. Fire services personnel inspected the building, the building is found to be safe and sound and it did not tilt. MCD officers and engineers were also called and checked the building."
Delhi Fire Service Director Atul Garg later confirmed that no building was found tilted in Shakarpur.
"No building in the Shakarpur area was found tilted. An initial call was given by some of the neighbours. The occupants of the building were not aware of the call," Fire Service Director Atul Garg said.

"The building in Shakarpur was already made like that as there was gap already. No damage due to the earthquake. It was a hoax call. The situation is under control. We checked the building from top to bottom & there's no problem," a Civil Defence volunteer in Shakarpur told ANI.
Meanwhile, people rushed out of their houses in several parts of Delhi as strong tremors of the earthquake were felt.

Neha, a resident of Delhi's Khan Market said, "I was sleeping when I felt it, I rushed out with my mother and dog. The entire colony was already outside. The tremors could be felt for a long time."
Another woman said she was asleep when she suddenly saw the fan wobbling.
"I got up and brought my mother and pet outside the house. We felt the tremors for approximately one-and-a-half minutes," she said.
Another resident said it was a strong tremor.
"We are standing outside. We had last felt such tremors in January. I was watching TV when I felt the earthquake," he said.

A resident of Delhi's Lajpat Nagar said, "We were in the drawing rooms of our houses when the fans started swaying. The tremors were quite strong. All of us rushed out and saw that the entire colony was outside."
In Noida also people got out of their houses after the strong tremors of the earthquake.
A resident of Ghaziabad told ANI that people rushed to the ground in the building in which he resides. "All of us came running down out of fear. Every person felt the tremors of the earthquake on every floor of the building. So we are here in the ground," he said.
Tremors were felt in Punjab also. People rushed out of their houses to open space earthquake tremors in Amritsar.
"I was sleeping when I felt my bed shake violently. I ran outside. We could feel the tremors for a long time. With God's blessings, there was no loss," said a local in Amritsar.
An Amritsar shop owner said he was sleeping and was woken up by strong tremors.

"I saw the fan shaking. The tremors lasted long," he told ANI.
Another city resident said she was sitting on the sofa and talking to her son when it started shaking.
"I raised an alarm. Everyone rushed out, very strong tremors were felt," she said.
"I was sitting at this counter when I felt the tremors. Everyone was rushing outside," said another local.

"It was a very strong earthquake. I felt my bed shaking, We received messages about the earthquake from Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala," another resident said.
People gathered in open spaces in Ludhiana as strong tremors of earthquake were felt in the city.

"I was sitting on the sofa and talking to my son when it started shaking. I raised an alarm. Everyone rushed out, very strong tremors were felt," says a local woman "I was setting my bed when my husband raised an alarm and told me to rush out. Everyone gathered outside," said a woman.
Many people in Jammu and Kashmir also rushed out of their homes after tremors were felt.
In Katra, devotees rushed out of guest houses.
Shubham, a guest house owner says, "Very strong tremors of earthquake were felt and all the devotees rushed out. With Maa Vaishno Devi's blessings, there was no loss of lives and they are returning to their hotels." (ANI)