Major earthquake rocks Iran, Pak; tremors in N India

A major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the richter scale rocked the Iran-Pakistan border on Tuesday, tremors of which were experienced in North India, including New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat.

Iran's Seismological Centre reported on its website that the quake struck at 3:14 pm local time (1614 IST) about 80 kilometres from the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, agencies reported. Iran TV also reported that 40 people have been killed in 'the biggest earthquake to hit in the country in 40 years'. An Iranian government officer told Reuters on condition of anonymity that 'they are expecting hundreds of dead'.

A quake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale at 4:14 pm, was epicentred on Pakistan-Iran border, Indian Meterological Department said. The quake took place 33 km down the surface.

At least five persons were killed and several others injured when buildings collapsed in Balochistan province of southwest Pakistan on Tuesday during the massive earthquake that was felt across the region.

With inputs from PTI

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The tremors were felt in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana and people were seen rushing out of high-rises in the national capital.

"I was inside my office in Connaught Place. I felt the chair trembling and rushed out of office," Priya Dev, a chartered accountant in Delhi, said.

There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualty.

Mild tremors were today felt in parts of Rajasthan but there is no initial report of any loss.

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"There are reports of tremors from different parts of the state though initially there is no report of loss to life or property," police control room in Jaipur said.

Western, central and southern parts of Gujarat also felt the tremors.

"There are no immediate reports of damage," Birju Patel, deputy director of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority, said.

The last time Delhi experienced tremors was on June 19 last year. A quake, measuring 3.8 on the Richter Scale a epicentred at Jhajjar in Haryana, was felt in the capital that day.

On March 5 last year, an earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter Scale with Haryana's Bahadurgarh as epicentre shooks parts of the capital.

In Delhi, the fire brigade and police said they have not received any immediate calls of casualty or damage.

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The five deaths in Pakistan were recorded in the remote Kharan district of Balochistan, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

TV news channels quoted security officials as saying that three children and two women were killed when several buildings collapsed in Mashkel area of Kharan.

The dead and injured were taken to a hospital run by security forces, officials said.

The high-intensity earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale rattled several parts of Pakistan, including Karachi, Hyderabad and Quetta cities.

In Karachi, several persons were injured when a building collapsed.

Hundreds of people had rushed out of their offices and homes in panic in the Pakistan's biggest city and in cities across the Sindh and Baluchistan provinces as soon as the jolts were felt around 3.46 pm local time that lasted for around 15 seconds.

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