Strong 5.2 Earthquake Hits Indian Capital

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck close to the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday, with powerful tremors shaking buildings and sending frightened residents scurrying into the streets.

The quake struck shortly after 1:10pm (07:40 GMT) and the tremors lasted for around 10 seconds.

"No damage to life or property has been reported," the government's Press Information Bureau said in a statement.

The epicenter was located 48 kilometers northwest of New Delhi on the border with Haryana state, and at a depth of 19 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

New Delhi regularly experiences tremors, but usually from distant earthquakes in remote areas of the Himalayas.

Monday's scare came just weeks after more than 40,000 people took part in the city's biggest ever earthquake drill aimed at improving disaster preparedness.

The two-hour rehearsal involved the police, fire officers, ambulances and volunteers addressing quake scenarios in schools, hospitals, metro stations and crowded markets.

Delhi is located in a high-risk seismic zone and experts have long questioned its ability to withstand a major earthquake due to lax safety standards, widespread illegal building and a lack of emergency planning.

Every year, tens of thousands of housing units are built without any earthquake safety checks.