NEW DELHI — It was the worst scare Delhi has felt in decades. The high-intensity earthquake that has devastated Nepal, jolted the people of Delhi and many parts of east and north India. Aftershocks on Sunday compounded the problems and created more panic. Saturday being the weekend people were mostly at home when the first shock came. Many could not believe that it was an earthquake. But when things started to fall down they realized that was what it was. In Mayur Vihar's Samachar Apartment it was all chaos. There was a near stampede at the staircase as everyone wanted to leave the high-rise residential building first. There were a few minor injuries in the ensuing “evacuation” attempt. Ram Naresh, a local journalist residing in Samachar Apartment, was first among the residents who left the building. “In 30 years I have experienced quite a few jolts but not of this intensity and not for such a long duration.” The market in various parts of Delhi also wore deserted looks. Delhi's city center, Connaught Place, which is vibrant with life all through the day, was absolutely deserted until 4 p.m. Delhi Metro, the city's lifeline, was also affected due to the quake but by afternoon it returned to normal operation. In Uttar Pradesh, mild shocks were experienced in most of the districts around 11.45 a.m. As per reports four people died in the collapse of buildings in the state. In Rajasthan, tremors were felt. People rushed out of their houses in Jaipur. Tremors were also felt in several parts of Assam, including Guwahati. In Odisha, panic gripped some parts of the state, including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, as a mild quake struck during noon hours Saturday. According to reports, the duration of the quake was more than one minute in Delhi and at some other places. In Bhubaneswar, people staying in apartments and buildings ran out of their houses in fear. Reports said the quake was felt in some parts of the coastal and interior districts of the state.
