Many Delhi residents were startled by strong jolts after a 4.0-magnitude earthquake struck the national capital and adjoining regions on Monday morning.
The strong tremors triggered by the earthquake prompted several residents of Delhi to rush out of their homes.
Anil Kumar, a resident of Sita Ram Bazar, said he never experienced such tremors before.
"I felt a strong vibration and got scared. My wife and I immediately woke up our child and rushed outside," Kumar said.
"I am a heart patient, so I panicked even more." he added.
The epicentre of the quake was in the Jheel Park area of Dhaula Kuan and there were some reports of people hearing a loud sound as the ground shook.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people in the region to stay calm and follow safety precautions while keeping alert for possible aftershocks. Modi said in a post on X, "Tremors were felt in Delhi and nearby areas. Urging everyone to stay calm and follow safety precautions, staying alert for possible aftershocks. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation."
Another Sita Ram Bazar resident, Sundar Lal, initially mistook the noise for monkeys on the terrace.
"At first, we thought there were monkeys on our terrace making noise but then we realised it was an earthquake, so we all ran outside," he said.
"It was a very strong earthquake, and we were all terrified. But thankfully it didn't last long," he added.
The National Center for Seismology said the earthquake struck at a focal depth of five kilometres at 5:36 am. There were no immediate reports of any damage or injuries.
A CCTV footage from the Budh Vihar area showed that as soon as the earthquake struck, a car's horn honked on its own.
Deepa, a resident of West Delhi, said she was jolted by the tremors and the loud sound.
"A similar earthquake occurred in 2012 but this one felt more intense. We were all very scared," she said.
Anil, a resident of Nehru Nagar, told PTI Videos that the moment he felt the tremor, he ran out of his house with his two-year-old daughter.
"There was a loud sound and strong jolts. My wife and I were very scared. The first thing we did was pick up our daughter and rush outside," he said.
In a post on X, Delhi Police said, "We hope you all are safe, Delhi!" It also urged citizens to call on the emergency 112 helpline for emergencies.
The strong tremors triggered by the earthquake prompted residents of several high-rise buildings in Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad to rush out of their homes.
AAP leader Atishi said on X, "A strong earthquake just hit Delhi. I pray to God that everyone is safe." Resharing her post, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said he prayed for everyone's safety.
"Massive tremors were felt 10 minutes back in Delhi, woke us up from sleep. I hope and pray everyone is safe and sound," AICC national spokesperson Ragini Nayak said in a post on X.
Delhi is located about 250 kilometres from the seismically-active Himalayan collision zone and experiences shaking frequently from far- and near-field earthquakes. The national capital is placed in Seismic Zone IV in the seismic zoning map of India, the second highest in the country. A 3.5-magnitude quake on April 12, 2020 and a 3.4-magnitude one on May 10, 2020, in northeast Delhi and a 4.4-magnitude earthquake on May 29, 2020, near Rohtak (about 50 kilometres west of Delhi), followed by more than a dozen aftershocks, sparked panic in the densely populated habitat.
