A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.8 on Richter Scale struck mountainous region of Uttarakhand late on Monday and tremors were felt in Delhi and other parts of northern India. Tremors that lasted for nearly 30 seconds were felt in Chandigarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Uttar Pradesh also. According to National Seismological Bureau, the epicentre of the earthquake measuring 5.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale was in Rudraprayag of Uttarakhand.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 5.6 struck Uttarakhand late on Monday. There were no immediate reports of any loss of life or damage to property.

Nestled in the Himalayan belt, Uttarakhand is known for high seismic activities. “The depth of the quake was 33 km and it occurred at 10.33 PM,” J L Gautam, Operations head at the National Seismological Bureau, a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences, was quoted as saying by PTI.

In the aftermath of earthquake, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to officials to take stock of situation. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked for detailed report on earthquake, while National Disaster Response Force has been put on high alert. According to reports, two NDRF teams have been rushed to Rudraprayag, the epicentre of the earthquake.

Panic-stricken residents ran out of their houses. In many colonies of Dehradun, men, women and children were seen hanging outside their homes in anticipation of aftershocks.

Reflecting on the news, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that he spoke to district magistrates and sought a report. “I have spoken to District Magistrate and getting information from various sources through out the state. There is no loss of life but there may be some cracks developed in the houses in far-flung areas. We are still in the process of collecting the information,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Earlier in the day, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake also hit central Colombia, shaking large cities including the capital Bogota, officials said, indicating there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

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