Earthquake in Delhi: What Makes the City So Vulnerable?

A 4.0-magnitude earthquake struck Delhi and the NCR early Monday at 5:36 am, with a shallow depth of 5 km, according to the National Center for Seismology.

Despite its moderate strength, people reported strong tremors.

Earthquakes are common in Delhi due to its position near the seismically active Himalayan region and its own network of fault lines.

The city falls in Zone IV, a "high-risk" seismic zone, as classified by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

Fault lines are fractures in the Earth's crust where tectonic plates meet and move. Stress builds up over time as these plates shift, and when the pressure releases, it causes an earthquake.

The entire Indian tectonic plate is continuously moving northeast at about 5 cm per year, pushing against the Eurasian plate.

This ongoing movement not only triggers major quakes in the Himalayas but also causes strain along older fault lines beyond the region.