Delhi Earthquake: Mild earthquake jolts southeast Delhi

A mild earthquake jolted southeast Delhi in the early hours of Saturday. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred at 1:23 am with a magnitude of 2.3 on the Richter scale and originated at a depth of approximately 5 kilometers. Fortunately, no casualties or property damage have been reported.

This incident marks the second earthquake in Delhi with its epicenter located within the city in 2025. Earlier, on February 17 at 5:36 am, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake was recorded. Tremors from that quake were felt across Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad. The epicenter of the February quake was near Durgabai Deshmukh College in the Dhaula Kuan area, also at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers.

Delhi is situated in seismic zone IV, which is categorized as the second-highest risk zone in India. Experts attribute the region’s vulnerability to its proximity to the Himalayan mountain range and the presence of significant geological fault lines such as the Delhi-Haridwar Ridge, Sohna Fault, and Mahendragarh-Dehradun Fault.

Over the past few decades, Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) have experienced multiple tremors. Since 1993, approximately 446 earthquakes have been recorded in the region, most of them ranging from 2.0 to 4.5 in magnitude. In 2025 alone, Delhi has experienced two such tremors—on February 17 and June 8—both without any reported damage or casualties. Additionally, strong earthquakes originating from Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2024 were also felt in Delhi, though they did not result in local devastation.

Experts warn that older structures in Delhi, particularly buildings constructed without basements or robust structural systems, remain highly vulnerable to seismic activity. The spate of mild tremors in 2020 had already raised concerns among residents and underlined the need for improved disaster readiness. Given Delhi’s seismic risk profile, authorities and citizens are urged to prioritize earthquake preparedness, public awareness, and strict adherence to safe building codes to mitigate the impact of future quakes.