Quake hits Central Asia, tremors felt in Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) Tremors were felt in some parts of northern India early on Saturday after a powerful earthquake jolted Afghanistan.

There were no reports of casualties or damage to property in the national capital where many residents were shaken out of their beds some 45 minutes past midnight Friday.

The tremors were also felt in Jammu and Kashmir where there was widespread panic.

"An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale occurred at 12.44 a.m. The epicentre was in the Hindukush region of Afghanistan," the Meteorological department said in Srinagar.

The US Geological Survey, however, said the quake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale, Xinhua reported.

The tremors triggered fear both in Srinagar and Jammu and other parts of the state.

"I thought some massive explosion had occurred outside our house," a Jammu resident told IANS.

In Delhi, some people ran out of their homes for safety.

"I felt the room shake on the fourth floor... It was scary," said Garima Kapoor, a housewife at Amar Colony in south Delhi.

"Everyone came out of their houses. We stayed on the road for a while," said Rishi, her husband.

Khalid Shah, a student in Khanpur area of south Delhi. said he and his roommates were jolted out of their beds. "We opted to stay out for some time in a park."

Over 45,000 people were killed across divided Kashmir and properties worth billions destroyed in a 7.6 magnitude temblor that hit Kashmir on both sides of the India-Pakistan border on October 8, 2005.