Earthquake in Delhi: Hyderabad Next? Here's What the Experts Say

Tremors were felt in Delhi and parts of NCR (National Capital Region) owing to an earthquake that struck in Haryana's Jhajjar district. The earthquake happened with a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter scale. According to seismic experts, the depth of the earthquake was 10 km.

On Thursday, panic ensued in Delhi as several residents rushed out of their homes while fans and other appliances swayed due to the earthquake that occurred at 09:04 am. In Haryana, Dadri, Bahadurgarh, Gurugram, and Rohtak experienced the tremors. What's even more worrisome was that people felt these tremors as far as Meerut and Shamli in Western Uttar Pradesh, which are 200 km from Jhajjar—the epicenter.

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake in Delhi: What about Hyderabad? 

The National Disaster Response Force immediately responded and advised people to not panic, rush out of their homes, and take the stairs while doing so. Remember, earthquakes are not uncommon in Delhi. Delhi's geographic location makes it susceptible to earthquakes. Delhi is located in Seismic Zone 4, which has a higher risk of earthquakes.

Whenever such instances happen, people might wonder whether their area is safe or not. Let's take a look at Hyderabad, for instance. The South Indian city falls in Seismic Zone 2, according to seismology experts, which means that the chances of an earthquake are less here. Not just Hyderabad, South India is considered relatively stable because it is far from the plate boundaries, which are also called Stable Continental Interiors (SCI). Places like Lucknow and New Delhi are parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains and are covered with a thick pile of sediments, which in turn triggers the amplification of waves.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, sits on a solid granite mass, so there is no amplification of waves as such, and this is the reason why it's considered one of the safest cities in India from earthquakes.