Strong earthquake rocks Indian capital of Delhi, surrounding areas

A strong earthquake has shaken Delhi, the capital of India, in the early hours of Monday.

The magnitude 4 tremors on the Richter scale were felt at around 5:36am at a depth of 5 kilometres, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said.

The earthquake was felt in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad, Hindustan Times reports.

It was located at a latitude of 28.59 North and longitude of 77.16 East, the report added citing the NCS.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reacted to the strong tremors.

"Tremors were felt in Delhi and nearby areas. Urging everyone to stay calm and follow safety precautions, staying alert for possible aftershocks. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation," he said.

Asking residents to follow safety precautions, Modi urged them to stay alert "for possible aftershocks". "Authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation," he added.

The strong jolts also prompted residents to step out of their residential complexes across Delhi-NCR regions.

The epicentre was near Durgabai Deshmukh College of Special Education in Dhaula Kuan, an official told news agency PTI. He said that the region has a lake nearby and has been experiencing smaller quakes once every two to three years.

Delhi is considered to be a Seismic Zone IV in the seismic zoning map of India, making it the second highest range in the nation.