A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck close to the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday, with powerful tremors shaking buildings and sending frightened residents scurrying into the streets. The quake struck shortly after 1:10pm (0740 GMT) and the tremors lasted for around 10 seconds. “No damage to life or property has been reported,” the government’s Press Information Bureau said in a statement. The epicentre was located 48 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of New Delhi on the border with Haryana state, and at a depth of 19 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey. New Delhi regularly experiences tremors, but usually from distant earthquakes in remote areas of the Himalayas. Monday’s scare came just weeks after more than 40,000 people took part in the city’s biggest ever earthquake drill aimed at improving disaster preparedness. The two-hour rehearsal involved the police, fire officers, ambulances and volunteers addressing quake scenarios in schools, hospitals, metro stations and crowded markets.
