Initial estimates say the quake measured 4.4 on the Richter scale and was epicentered in south central Haryana. No damage has yet been reported.

The tremors were felt around 9 am.

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.

Tremors were also felt as far as Meerut and Shamli in western Uttar Pradesh, about 200 km from the epicentre in Jhajjar.

As soon as the earthquake struck, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) put out an advisory. It asked people not to panic, run outside and take the stairs while doing so. NDRF also had a piece of advice for those driving when the quake hits: pull over at an open space.

People took to social media to post about the earthquake and how they responded to it, many of them underlined how long it felt.

"We felt the tremors...It was really scary, my vehicle shook. It was really strong," an eyewitness told the news agency ANI.

Another eyewitness in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad said that he felt someone was shaking the whole shop he was sitting in.

"The tremors felt quite strong. I was at a shop when it hit, it felt as if someone was shaking the shop," he said.

In Delhi, panic gripped neighbourhoods soon after the tremors were felt and people gathered in the open. People ran out of their homes, many of them barefoot and still in their nightwear.

Sultan Khan, a resident of Vikaspuri, said the experience was unnerving.

"We suddenly felt the ground shaking and ran out of our house. We realised later that it was an earthquake. First the heat, then the overnight rain, and now this, all three have made things very uncomfortable for us," he told PTI Videos.

Another resident, Ahmad Ali, said, "It was a scary moment. The tremors did not last long but were strong enough to wake us up. My children are still scared." Many stayed outside for a while after the tremors were felt, fearing that more might follow.

"We have been standing outside for the past 45 minutes because we are afraid that a stronger earthquake might strike next," another Vikaspuri resident said.

"It rained heavily last night, so we were all fast asleep. But as soon as the tremors hit, we rushed out of the house in fear," he said.

Similar scenes played out in Noida and Greater Noida.

Neelam Sharma, a resident of Kendriya Vihar in Greater Noida, said she was in the kitchen making breakfast for her family when she felt the tremors.

"The floor shook and when I looked outside the window, my neighbours were already standing outside and talking about the earthquake," she said.

"I was doing yoga and suddenly saw that the ceiling fan in my room was moving. I thought it was due to the wind, but then my son told me that an earthquake had jolted Delhi-NCR," said another resident, Indu Sharma.

Many also posted about the earthquake on social media, sharing photos and videos.