New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh) — A moderate earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale struck Uttarakhand late Tuesday night, sending noticeable tremors across the National Capital Region (NCR) and several parts of northern India. The sudden shaking, which occurred shortly after 10:20 PM IST, prompted many residents in high-rise buildings across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram to rush outdoors into open spaces.
According to data released by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake struck at exactly 10:23 PM IST with its epicentre situated in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. The seismic event was recorded at a relatively shallow focal depth of 13 kilometres at latitude 30.103 degrees North and longitude 79.561 degrees East. While early automated readings initially pegged the event at a 4.4 magnitude, subsequent geological analysis upgraded the intensity to 4.9.
Apart from the national capital and surrounding NCR hubs, mild vibrations were also felt across parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and western Uttar Pradesh. Social media platforms quickly saw a flurry of posts from residents sharing videos of swaying ceiling fixtures and recounting brief but distinct tremors that lasted several seconds.
Local administrations and disaster management authorities in Uttarakhand immediately initiated ground assessments across Chamoli and adjoining hilly districts to check for any structural damage or blockages along sensitive mountainous routes. No casualties or severe damage to public infrastructure have been reported so far, and emergency response teams remain on alert to monitor any possible aftershocks.
