Massive earthquake jolts Afghanistan; tremors felt in India and Pakistan

• Image Credit: Google

• Mar 22, 2023 | Dhupali Das

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 rocked Afghanistan, and tremors were reported in several cities of Pakistan...

Digital Desk: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 rocked Afghanistan, and tremors were reported in several cities of Pakistan, according to Geo News. Tremors were felt in various cities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, including Islamabad.

The magnitude of the earthquake was 6.8 and it occurred on March 21 at 10:17:52 p.m. The depth was 198.0 kilometers, and the epicenter was located at 36.52°N / 70.97°E. (Afghanistan). According to the Jaipur Meteorological Centre, a 6.6 Richter scale earthquake was felt in the Hindukush region.

According to preliminary information provided by EMSC, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck 77 kilometers southeast of Faizabad in Afghanistan. Strong tremors were also reported in Peshawar, Kohat, and Swabi.

Apart from that, earthquake tremors were detected in Lahore, Quetta, and Rawalpindi.

Frightened and anxious, people came out of their houses and began reciting Kalima Tayyaba. In India, also, people across the northern belt, straddling several states, felt strong tremors.

Tremors are felt in India

Strong tremors were felt in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and other nearby cities after an earthquake of magnitude 6.6 hit Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region. Strong tremors were detected in the Delhi-NCR region at around 10.17 p.m. on Tuesday night. 

The tremors, which lasted a few minutes, were also detected in Jammu and Kashmir. Following the seismic tremors, telecommunications services were disrupted in a few areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The tremors were also detected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and other northern Indian states.

The tremors were so strong that people rushed out of their buildings. People also posted videos of the earthquake's aftermath. The recordings showed fans shaking, people running, and chandeliers shaking.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Meteorology And Climate Change says, no harm is projected in India as the junction of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates lies in zone 5.

He said, "It wa a strong #earthquake. Worse is over now. Aftershocks are usually milder. Of moderate intensity. Can damage old buildings in the vicinity which are damaged by main event. May not be felt in #India. no worries. #AfghanistanEarthquake #earthquake"