New Delhi: A powerful earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan on Friday night, April 3, 2026, sending noticeable shockwaves through Delhi-NCR and several states in Northern India. The tremors, which occurred at approximately 9:50 PM, were felt across a vast geographical expanse including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Residents in high-rise apartments in cities like Noida, Gurugram, and Chandigarh reported furniture shaking and ceiling fans swaying for several seconds, prompting many to evacuate their buildings in a state of panic.
The seismic impact was not restricted to India, as various parts of Pakistan, including Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar, also reported feeling the vibrations. According to preliminary seismic data, the earthquake originated at a significant depth, which often allows the energy to travel long distances while reducing the intensity of immediate surface destruction. While the shaking was strong enough to cause alarm among the public, disaster management authorities have not yet received any reports of loss of life or major structural collapses from the affected Indian territories.
In Jammu and Kashmir, residents in Srinagar and Udhampur described the experience as a sudden, sharp jolt followed by milder oscillations. Local administration officials have urged the public to stay calm but remain alert for potential aftershocks, which are common following a disturbance of this magnitude in the Afghan mountain ranges. Emergency services in the National Capital Region remain on standby as a precautionary measure, although the initial assessment suggests that the region has escaped any significant impact from this latest geological event.
