Earthquake rocks Afghanistan as tremors felt in Delhi and across northern India

AFGHANISTAN has been rocked by a powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake that left residents running out of their homes.

Tremors were also felt in cities across northern India including in Delhi leaving panicking locals rushing to safety.

The Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan bore the brunt of the quake on Saturday evening.

According to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ), it struck at a depth of 121 miles.

As it originated so deep below the earth's surface, the likelihood of nearby damage is a lot less.

Although obviously shaken, no damage or casualties have yet been reported from the epicentre.

The earthquake jolted Jurm in the northeast of the country, the same place where a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit in late March.

But deep earthquakes can create other problems, as the effects are more likely to ripple across neighbouring nations.

The Jurm area is more than 620 miles from Delhi, but the tremors still managed to cause a commotion.

"The quake hit twice at around 9:30pm," Preeti Shankar, who felt his high-rise apartment block sway, told PTI.

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal also urged residents to seek safety after feeling the effects of the quake.

He wrote in a Twitter post: "Earthquake tremors have also been felt in Delhi. Hope you all are safe."

Afghanistan is frequently rocked by earthquakes, especially near the border with Tajikistan and Pakistan.