New Delhi, April 3, 2026 — Panic gripped the streets of North India late Friday night as strong earthquake tremors ripped through Delhi-NCR, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, and several surrounding regions. Rattled residents were forced to flee their high-rise apartments and offices, rushing out into open streets and parks as buildings swayed.
A 5.9 Magnitude Strike
The terrifying tremors struck at approximately 9:47 PM. According to seismological reports, the earthquake registered a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the powerful quake was located deep in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region, but its shockwaves traveled hundreds of miles, rattling entire cities across Northern India and neighboring Pakistan.
In Jammu and Kashmir, two distinct, successive shocks were felt across Srinagar, Udhampur, Poonch, and the wider Kashmir Valley. In the national capital and surrounding NCR cities like Noida, the tremors were intense enough to trigger immediate evacuations from towering residential and commercial complexes.
Viral Videos Show Swaying Homes
Within minutes of the tremors, social media was flooded with terrifying visual evidence of the quake. Viral videos circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and WhatsApp captured the chaotic moments inside people’s homes. Footage from Srinagar and Delhi clearly showed heavy chandeliers swinging violently, ceiling fans shaking, and furniture rattling as the ground rumbled beneath them.
“We were just wrapping up work in our Noida office when the monitors started shaking. We didn’t even use the elevators; everyone just ran down the stairs in pure panic,” shared one local resident on social media.
No Major Damage Reported
Despite the widespread panic, there is a massive sigh of relief across the region. Local authorities and disaster management agencies have confirmed that no loss of life, major structural damage, or severe casualties have been reported thus far.
Local administrations are continuing to monitor the situation closely and have issued advisories urging citizens not to panic or spread unverified rumors on social media.
Notably, the Delhi-NCR region sits on a highly active seismic zone. Friday night’s sudden jolt marks the third time this year that the national capital region has experienced earthquake tremors, following two previous incidents earlier in January.
