Residents of Delhi and adjoining areas woke up to strong tremors caused by an earthquake of magnitude 4.0 this morning. Videos showed the ground and buildings shaking, forcing people to rush out of their homes. There have been no reports of casualties or damage to properties, but many residents claimed that the tremors were so strong that it felt like a bridge was collapsing. However, the quake itself was not of a high-intensity magnitude. The National Centre of Seismology has assured residents of the national capital that there is nothing to worry about as aftershocks of lesser magnitude are \”natural\” Delhi is prone to earthquakes as it is located in the Seismic Zone IV, which has a fairly high seismicity where earthquakes generally occur in the range of 5-6 magnitude, and even 7-8 occasionally. Seismicity in North India, including the Himalayas, is due to the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate. These colliding plates flex, and store energy like a spring, and when the plate’s margin finally slips to release energy, an earthquake results.
