Earthquake Rocks New Delhi Station: Passengers Describe ‘Train-Speed’ Shocks

Earth Shakes Delhi!

Morning Tremors Hit Delhi-NCR

Delhi residents felt a jolt early Monday. A 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck the area. The National Center for Seismology reported it. It happened at 5:36 am. The quake started near Delhi. It was five kilometres deep.

Ground Zero Location Revealed

Officials said the earthquake’s centre was close by. It was near Durgabai Deshmukh College. This is in Dhaula Kuan. Interestingly, this area sees small quakes sometimes. It happens every few years. A smaller 3.3 magnitude quake hit there in 2015. Moreover, people even heard a sound with this latest tremor.

Railway Station Buzzes with Shaken Passengers

Imagine waiting for your train and the ground shakes! One passenger at New Delhi railway station described the feeling. "It was short," he said. "But it felt really strong." He thought a super-fast train was arriving. Another traveler waiting at the same station felt something similar. "We thought a train was running under us," he explained. "Everything shook."

Bridge Collapse Fear at Waiting Lounge

Inside the waiting lounge at the station, panic erupted. A passenger recounted, "Everyone rushed out." "It felt like a bridge fell down," he added. Vendor Anish at the station also shared his scary experience. "Everything was shaking," he remembered. "Customers started screaming!"

Why Delhi is Earthquake Prone?

Delhi is not immune to earthquakes. It is near the mighty Himalayas. These mountains are seismically active. Delhi is about 250 kilometres from this zone. Because of this location, Delhi feels tremors from distant Himalayan quakes. Local sources also cause tremors in Delhi.

Delhi’s Seismic History

Several tremors have hit Delhi recently. In 2020, a 3.5 quake hit on April 12. Another 3.4 quake followed on May 10 in northeast Delhi. Further on May 29, a bigger 4.4 earthquake struck near Rohtak. That is about 50 kilometres from Delhi. Many smaller aftershocks followed those events. These events understandably worried many people in the crowded city.

Delhi in High-Risk Zone

India’s earthquake map places Delhi in Zone IV. This zone is considered a significant seismic risk area. The main reason is Delhi’s closeness to the Himalayan earthquake region. So, Delhi needs to stay prepared for future tremors.