The recent powerful earthquake that hit parts of Afghanistan has sent tremors throughout northern India, including Delhi NCR, resulting in panic among residents who fled high rises and tall buildings during the aftershocks. There are initial estimates of around eight fatalities in Afghanistan and lots of injured people, with some infrastructure damage reported too. Also, there have been reports of substantial tremors felt throughout Northern India, with many residents running out of buildings (especially high-rise buildings).
The Death Toll and Damage From the Earthquake in Afghanistan
The earthquake had its deadliest impacts in Afghanistan’s less stable regions. Many parts of Afghanistan are very rural and have extensive areas of undeveloped and potentially dangerous land. In the affected areas of Afghanistan, it has been estimated that eight people have lost their lives and dozens more have been injured. Many homes were either destroyed or sustained major structural damage due to collapse in areas where homes were not built to sustain the strong shock of earthquakes and to withstand the violent shocks that were produced when the earthquake occurred.
Although emergency response services were quickly deployed, responding to the earthquake has been especially difficult due to insecure access to many of the affected locations by road and/or air. Because of the difficult terrain, many families displaced by the earthquake are awaiting relocation to temporary housing. Humanitarian agencies are working to determine the extent of the disaster and the number of victims who were killed after the earthquake.
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Tremors Felt Across Delhi-NCR – Strong Earthquake Jolts in Afghanistan and Northern India
Tremors of an earthquake were experienced strongly by many people in Delhi-NCR causing many of them to panic. Many high-rise structures also swayed back and forth for multiple seconds which caused a number of people working in their offices, living in their homes, and enjoying shopping in a mall to evacuate from these areas; videos posted on social media show many of the people who were experiencing these tremors all gathered together in open areas of the city and appear to be shaken by the events described.
Although there have been no reports of major damage or injuries thus far in the Delhi-NCR region, authorities are monitoring the situation closely; emergency helplines have been activated and disaster management teams have been conducting inspections for any structural integrity issues in potential areas where buildings may have been damaged. These earthquakes are a reminder that this region does have a history of seismic activity, which is also influenced by close proximity to the fault lines created by the Himalaya Mountains.
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Magnitude and Epicentre
The preliminary data being reported by seismic observation agencies indicates that this earthquake was of considerable magnitude and has the potential of being felt across many international borders. The epicentre for this earthquake was located in Afghanistan, which is also recognised as having a high number of seismic events as a result of tectonic plate collisions.
The earthquake occurred at a medium depth, which creates a larger area over which the tremors will be transmitted and experienced; both parts of Pakistan and northern India were affected by the quake due to the moderate depth of the quake. Experts indicate that due to the structure of the Earth’s crust in the South Asian region, earthquakes that occur there tend to have significant effects over large areas.
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Panic and Public Response
Many residents across Delhi, NCR, and rest of North India who were jolted by the sudden tremor of the earthquake experienced panic and chaos during the event. People immediately evacuated buildings rather than wait for emergency services to give them instructions. Several organisations closed their offices, and metro systems had brief delays because of the earthquake as a precaution.
Following the earthquake, schools and businesses carried out safety checks. Many people took to social media to communicate their experiences of the earthquake, with many commenting on the length and intensity of the shaking. Although the majority of panic subsided after the earthquake finished, it was a reminder to urban areas of the importance of being prepared for an earthquake.
Government and Emergency Response
Local governments and organisations in Afghanistan and India responded quickly. In Afghanistan, local authorities worked together to coordinate rescue and relief operations by sending teams of rescuers into the affected area. Medical services were placed on high alert to treat people who had been injured, and food, water, and shelter were being provided for displaced people.
In India, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) and local authorities continued to monitor the situation. No damage was reported at this time, but the teams had been kept in a state of readiness for rapid action if necessary. Officials provided advice to the public to remain calm and to observe the safety measures for aftershocks.
Seismic Vulnerability of the Region
South Asia once again demonstrates that it is highly susceptible to earthquakes; Afghanistan’s location puts it directly in a seismically active area because of how the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates interact.
The area surrounding Afghanistan experiences many earthquakes, a number of them are extremely troublesome.
The rest of northern India and the Delhi-NCR and its surrounding areas lie within seismic zones that experience moderate to major earthquakes. Urbanization and the construction of many high-rise buildings creates a much greater risk for those living and working in these regions; therefore, everyone in these areas needs to take necessary precautions as well as develop a resilient infrastructure.
Preparation/Prevention
Experts agree that citizens need to be more educated regarding their earthquake preparation/prevention efforts. For example, determining safe spaces that can be taken indoors or advising individuals not to use elevators during earthquakes but rather to use stairs. Additional examples include providing residents with a place to store an emergency kit so they can use it to stay safe during an earthquake.
All levels of government are recommended to implement/tighten rules concerning building codes and implement disaster-resilient infrastructure. Educational campaigns are also encouraged by organizations in both public and private sectors; campaigns provide citizens with knowledge concerning how to react to these types of events.
Conclusion
The earthquake is a sobering example of the unpredictability of nature and the risk that seismically vulnerable areas have to deal with due to being in close proximity to each other. Although recent earthquake(s) have created devastation in Afghanistan, there have also been many people in Delhi-NCR who have felt aftershocks from the earthquake and therefore, these citizens are also at risk.
