Quake jolts part of North India

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region today shook several parts of north India, including the national capital and the Kashmir Valley, the met department said.

The quake, which was felt in the Delhi-NCR region as well as the Kashmir Valley, led to panic in some parts with people rushing outdoors for safety.

There were no reports of any damage due to the earthquake, officials said.

"The epicentre of the quake was near the AfghanistanTajikistan border and occurred at a depth of around 190 kilometres," an official said in Srinagar.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale was recorded at 12.36 pm.

In New Delhi, Delhi Metro trains were halted briefly but services were not disrupted, said a Delhi Metro official.

The tremors were felt strongly in the Jammu and Kashmir summer capital and other parts of the Valley, with people rushing out of buildings and vehicles.

Officials snapped electricity supply briefly as a precautionary measure.

For many people in Kashmir, the tremors recalled the nightmare of the October 2005 earthquake that flattened wide parts of Jammu and Kashmir on either side of the Line of Control.