Massive earthquake jolts North India

A massive earthquake measuring 7.5 on richter scale on Monday (October 26) jolted north India, with panic-stricken people rushing out of houses and buildings that shook during the temblor lasting almost a minute. The earthquake epicentred in the Hindukush mountain range in Afghanistan struck at around 2.40 PM, sending ripples across several states like Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi- National Capital Region (NCR), Punjab, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. People frantically rushed out of their houses and offices as the ground shook. In the national capital, metro sevrices were briefly halted. There were no immediate reports of loss of life or property. In Srinagar, residents said they saw the buildings "swinging", remindig them of the devastating quake in 2005. According to National Center for Seismology, a unit of Ministry of Earth Science, the epicentre of the earthquake was the Hindukush mountain range, known to be a high sesimic zone. The earthquake occurred at the depth of 190 kms.