The National Capital has witnessed two aftershocks with the latest on Sunday afternoon, prompting authorities to take a survey of various locations
Central and state government agencies were kept on their toes in the National Capital all throughout Sunday due to the aftershocks which hit the city after the devastating earthquake in Nepal on Saturday. Government officials said that old and under-construction buildings as well as underground metro stations, being on the high-risk list, are being monitored on an hourly basis.
Madhur Verma, deputy commissioner of police (North), said that quick response team (QRT) vehicles have been coordinating with other departments, including Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Public Works Department (PWD), and the state health department. "All the concerned nodal agencies are in touch with the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). From our (Delhi police) end we have been sending QRTs to various locations to check for property damage. The fire department has also been keeping a close watch and sharing information with us," Verma said.
The aftershock on Sunday had briefly affected metro services as well. "Metro stations are also being monitored," said Verma.
After a massive earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Nepal on Saturday, various parts of India witnessed strong tremors followed by aftershocks. The National Capital has so far witnessed two aftershocks with the latest on Sunday afternoon, prompting authorities to take a survey of various locations. Nepal on Sunday was jolted by four fresh aftershocks measuring up to 6 on the Richter scale, including one that was reported to hit 41 km west-northwest of Kirtipur.
According to reports, in India the dead already number above 50, with most of the deaths reported from Bihar. The number of deaths in Nepal has already exceeded 2,200.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Verma also said that the police department was forced to issue an advisory after some 'mischievous' elements indulged in rumor-mongering. "We received complaints about messages claiming that a massive earthquake is about to hit the city. Earthquakes cannot be predicted as such, but some people have been falling prey to these rumors floating on various social media websites. We request people not to panic, and also request the ones spreading such rumors to be a little more sensitive," Verma added.
A senior fire department official said that some callers from East Delhi had reported cracks in their buildings, but the visiting teams found that the damage to the buildings was not from the earthquake. "All of our stations are on alert and nearly 1,800 personnel are currently on duty. So far we have had no reports of damage but we are not taking any chances," the fire department official said.
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