New Delhi, April 19: A powerful earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale struck Afghanistan on Saturday afternoon at 12:17 pm IST, as reported by the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

The quake’s epicentre was located at 36.10 degrees North latitude and 71.20 degrees East longitude, with a depth of 130 kilometres. Tremors from the earthquake were felt across several northern regions of India, including Jammu & Kashmir and the Delhi-NCR area.

While there have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries, authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation.

The NCS confirmed the seismic activity via a post on social media platform X.

“EQ of M: 5.8, On: 19/04/2025 12:17:53 IST, Lat: 36.10 N, Long: 71.20 E, Depth: 130 Km, Location: Afghanistan,” NCS said in a post on X.

This event follows a similar tremor that occurred earlier in the week. On Wednesday, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Afghanistan, with its epicentre approximately 164 km east of Baghlan.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) initially reported the quake as 6.4 in magnitude but later revised it to 5.6.

In a related development, the Kishtwar region of Jammu & Kashmir also experienced a mild earthquake measuring 2.4 on the Richter scale on Wednesday morning around 5:14 AM IST.

The tremor occurred at a shallow depth of 5 kilometres.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) highlights that Afghanistan is extremely susceptible to natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, and seasonal floods.

UNOCHA also pointed out that the frequent seismic activity in the region severely impacts already fragile communities, which have endured years of conflict and underdevelopment.

These conditions have significantly weakened their capacity to handle multiple crises at once. According to the Red Cross, Afghanistan has a long history of experiencing powerful earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush region, which is known for its intense geological activity and frequent tremors.

The country lies along several major fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. One of these fault lines passes directly through Herat, increasing the area’s risk of seismic events.

New Delhi, April 19: At least four people have died and around 12 are feared trapped after a four-storey building collapsed in the Mustafabad area of Delhi in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.

The incident occurred around 3 a.m., following intense overnight rainfall and thunderstorms that hit several parts of the city.

Sandeep Lamba, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East District), said, “Four among the 14 rescued succumbed to their injuries… The building was four floor high. Rescue operations are ongoing, and eight to ten people are still feared trapped.”

Providing an update from the ground, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) official Mohan Shaheedi said, “Around 12 people are feared trapped under the debris, including 9 adults and 3 children. According to information from local sources, 6 people have been rescued so far and shifted to the hospital. Two NDRF teams are present at the site, supported by Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, and volunteers.”

He added, “Authorities are identifying cavities and possible locations under the debris where survivors may be trapped. Technical searches are underway using rescue dogs to detect any signs of life. If any indication is found, special focus is given to that area. The operation is highly challenging and is being carried out with the utmost care.”

Teams from the NDRF, Delhi Police, Fire Services, and local volunteers continue to work tirelessly at the site.

The area has been sealed off as the rescue operation enters a critical phase. The exact cause of the collapse will be investigated once the rescue efforts conclude. Rescue operations are underway.

The house collapse incident occurred just hours after a sudden shift in Delhi’s weather on Friday night when heavy rainfall and thunderstorms lashed several parts of the city.

New Delhi, April 17: Hearing on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the recent amendments in the Waqf law continued for the second day in the Supreme Court on Thursday. A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K.V. Vishwanathan has given seven days’ time to the Central Government to file a reply. The government assured the court that no denotification or new appointment will be made during this period. The next hearing will be on May 5.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that this issue is not such that a decision can be taken by looking at a section. For this, the entire law and history will also have to be seen. This law was passed after considering several lakh suggestions.

He said that if the court issues any order, it will have a huge impact. He sought a week’s time to file a reply, which was accepted by the court.

After this, the CJI said that the court wants that no party should be affected.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that if you want to say something about ‘Waqf by User’, then listen to our side for that. He assured that there will be no appointment in the Waqf Board for a week.

The Supreme Court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta if he can assure that the Waqf property registered under the Waqf Act of 1995 will not be denotified? The Solicitor General also assured the court of this.

In an interim order, the apex court fixed the date of next hearing as May 5 and said that the Solicitor General has said that the Central Government wants to file a reply within seven days. He assures the court that no appointment will be made in the Council and Board under the amended sections 9 and 14 of the Waqf Act. Till the next date of hearing, wakfs, including those already registered or declared by notification, shall neither be denotified nor any change made therein by the collector. We take this statement on record.