An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 on the Richter scale struck Delhi-NCR on Sunday at 4.08 pm, the National Centre for Seismology said. The quake triggered panic among people, with many in Delhi and the National Capital Region reporting vigorous shaking of furniture.
Several social media users shared visuals of people rushing out of residential buildings. Previously, on October 3, strong tremors reverberated through parts of north India, including the Delhi-NCR, after a series of earthquakes, the strongest being of magnitude 6.2, jolted Nepal in quick succession. India is located in a seismically active region. But with a lot of microearthquakes occurring every day, the stored-up energy gets released, according to Director O P Mishra of the National Centre for Seismology, Ministry of Earth Sciences. Experts say the impact of a large-scale earthquake can be reduced if people and institutions strictly comply with the bylaws and codes to build resilient structures.
They say the resonant frequency of a building can play a critical role in determining the level of damage it experiences during an earthquake.
