Moderate earthquake in Northern India (greater New Delhi area)

Last update: March 7, 2012 at 3:50 pm by By

Earthquake overview : At 13:11 (1:11 PM), a moderate earthquake struck the greater New Delhi area.
“I have Felt it” Reports –> see below + Let us know “how you have felt this earthquake”
To read the full story as it happened, we advise our readers to start at the lower part of the page (earthquake data).
Check also our India-only earthquake list

Keep this page open or return regularly as we will be back with more details when they become available

Blue = weak to very weak shaking - green = moderate shaking

Update 08:33 UTC
This is one of the strongest earthquakes in the Delhi region since 2007 and 2011 when a Mb=4.7 earthquake and ML=4.3 earthquakes respectively  struck the region causing minor damage and widespread panic.

Update 08:28 UTC
The strongest known earthquakes in the Delhi region include the M6.0 Khurja-Bulandshahr earthquake on 10 October 1956..
The M6.0 Gurgaon earthquake on 27 August 1960
The Mb=5.6 Moradabad earthquake on 15 August 1966.
Historically, the 15 July 1720  earthquake in the Delhi region caused the greatest damage in the city causing many deaths and widespread damage including knocking down large parts of the Shaharepanah (city wall) in Old Delhi from Kabuli Gate to Lal Darwaza and the battlements of the Fatehpuri Masjid according to ASC.
Delhi can also be subjected to shaking from large Himalayan Quakes.

Update 08:23 UTC
Reported shaking in our own site and in relevant other sites are showing a maximum light shaking near the epicenter and a weak to very weak shaking until several hundred km distance from the epicenter.

Epicenter location and area

Update 08:18 UTC
Closest city to the epicenter is Sampla. The epicenter location calculation has always an error margin, but eventual damage (cracks in walls are possible) has to be searched in the direct vicinity of this location

Update 08:12 UTC
Earthquake-Report.com is calling this earthquake MODERATELY dangerous as minor damage and injuries cannot be excluded.

Update 08:00 UTC
Based on the data we are currently evaluating, the magnitude can be called moderate

- Preliminary reports are talking of a Magnitude of 4.8 to 5.2 at a depth of 10 km. This report has to be confirmed though

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“I Have Felt It” reports as received by Earthquake-Report.com
See below for all the received Earthquake Experience reports as received by earthquake-report.com

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 4.8 to 5.2
UTC Time : Monday, March 05, 2012 at 07:41:06 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, March 05, 2012 at 01:11:06 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 19.1 km
Geo-location(s) :
48 km (30 miles) WNW (296°) from NEW DELHI, Delhi, India
93 km (58 miles) WSW (257°) from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India

Links to important maps
USGS Did You Feel It Map
Google satellite map showing the epicenter and the surrounding area
Historic earthquakes map
Seismic hazard map
Focal mechanism report

I Have Felt this earthquake – मैं इस भूकंप महसूस किया है

SRC Location UTC Date/time M D INFORMATION
GEOFON Mid Indian Ridge May 07 20:33 PM 5.0 18 MAP I Felt It INFO
USGS Mid-indian Ridge May 07 20:33 PM 4.9 11 MAP I Felt It
EMSC Mid-indian Ridge May 07 20:33 PM 4.9 33 MAP I Felt It INFO
EMSC Andaman Islands, India Region May 03 04:16 AM 4.5 69 MAP I Felt It
USGS Andaman Islands, India Region May 03 04:16 AM 4.5 69 MAP I Felt It INFO
GEOFON Andaman Islands, India Region May 03 04:16 AM 4.5 63 MAP I Felt It INFO

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SHARE YOUR EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCE WITH US

Enter Email (not compulsory)
City/Village where you felt the earthquake
MMI II (Very weak shaking) ?
People :
Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
MMI III (Weak shaking) ?
People :
Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
MMI IV (Light shaking) ?
People :
Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.
Fittings :
Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock.
Structures :
Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
MMI V (Moderate shaking) ?
People :
Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.
Fittings :
Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate.
Structures :
Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
MMI VI (Strong shaking) ?
People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily.
Fittings :
Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut).
Structures :
Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall.
Environment :
Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
MMI VII (Very strong shaking) ?
People
General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop.
Fittings :
Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings.
Structures :
Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged.
Environment :
Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
MMI VIII (Severe shaking) ?
People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
MMI IX (Violent shaking) ?
Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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