A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck near Chamoli in Uttarakhand at about 10:23 pm on Tuesday, October 6, with tremors felt across Noida, Ghaziabad, Dehradun and several other parts of northern India, prompting residents of high-rise buildings to leave their homes and gather in open areas.
According to information attributed to the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake occurred at 10:23:13 pm. Its epicentre was reported in Chamoli district’s Gairsain block, near Khadaun Laga Gavali village. Tremors were felt in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and parts of Nepal, the report said.
In Uttarakhand, people in Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Almora and Nainital were among those who felt the shaking. Residents of high-rise buildings in Dehradun reportedly became alarmed and moved outside after the tremors. People also gathered in open grounds and on roads to discuss the earthquake and the possibility of further shaking.
Residents in Noida and Ghaziabad described feeling buildings and household objects move. In Noida, people living in housing societies came out of their flats and assembled in open spaces after neighbours raised an alarm. Some office workers also left their workplaces after feeling the tremors. In several societies, residents remained outside while discussing the possibility of aftershocks.
The incident highlighted the immediate safety concerns faced by residents of densely occupied high-rise housing, where an earthquake can trigger rapid evacuation and confusion even when no structural damage is immediately visible. People used phone calls and messages to check whether relatives and acquaintances in different parts of the National Capital Region had also experienced the tremors.
The supplied report said there were no reports of loss of life or property damage in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand at the time of publication. It also did not report any official evacuation order, structural assessment or emergency closure of buildings. Residents nevertheless moved outdoors as a precaution after feeling the earthquake and hearing discussions about possible aftershocks.
The National Centre for Seismology’s reported location and magnitude provide the available official basis for the earthquake details in the report. Further information on any aftershocks, damage assessments or administrative advisories was not included in the supplied material.
