NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale was felt in Uttarakhand late Monday night, tremors could be felt in the aftermath throughout Delhi, as well as Himachal Pradesh.
Though there have been no reports of casualties or damage, panic ensued after the quake, scores of office workers were forced to evacuate their buildings as a safety precaution. According to India’s Meteorological Department, the depth of the quake was 33 kilometers, tremors could be felt in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to his Twitter account Monday night, saying that he would pray for the safety and wellbeing of his people. He also said his office is in constant contact with officials in Uttarakhand, which has been designated as the epicenter.
“Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation in the wake of the earthquake felt in various parts of North India,” Modi wrote on Twitter. “PMO is in touch with officials in Uttarakhand, which is the epicenter of the quake. I pray for everyone’s safety & well-being.”
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has mobilized India’s National Disaster Response Force, which has been put on high alert, he said.
“The MHA is closely monitoring the situation in earthquake hit Uttarakhand and other north Indian states where the tremors have been felt,” Singh wrote on his own Twitter page. “The NDRF teams have been rushed from Ghaziabad to Uttarakhand to conduct rescue and relief operations, if the situation arises.”
Skymet Weather Services told IANS that more aftershocks should be expected.
India’s last major earthquake in the region came in 2016, when a 4.2 magnitude shaker centered in Haryana rocked the nation last November. Last January, 10 people were killed after a 6.8 magnitude quake shook the India-Myanmar border.
