Faridabad, July 10 : After a 4.4-magnitude earthquake that jolted Haryana's Jhajjar sent strong tremors across Delhi-NCR on Thursday, fear gripped people, who described it as the "longest" quake they have felt in years.

The quake, which hit at around 9.04 a.m., was felt across the National Capital Region, including Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Faridabad.

According to the National Centre for Seismology, the epicentre of the quake was Jhajjar, with tremors lasting nearly a minute.

Although no casualties or structural damage have been reported so far, the sudden jolt left people alarmed, with many rushing out of homes, offices, and shops.

Speaking to IANS, residents described the earthquake as one of the strongest and longest they had experienced in recent years.

Arun Singh, a resident of Bahadurgarh, told IANS, "I was sitting on the bed when the earthquake hit. It was a very strong and long earthquake. My family and I immediately ran out of our homes."

"I was at my shop. My chair started moving, and then I saw the fan was also shaking. It was a very strong earthquake. We came running out. I feared for the homes here. I thought they would collapse since the tremors were very strong," said Dharmpal, another local.

Sukhbir Singh, also from Bahadurgarh, shared, "My wife and I were sitting on the sofa when we felt the tremors. We immediately informed everyone and came out of the house. It was a very strong earthquake."

Balram, another resident, added, "We were having a meal together with the family, the TV was on, and the fan started shaking, so we quickly came outside and prayed to God for everyone's safety. We felt it for a long time. I think it was the longest earthquake I have ever felt."

Mehrchand, who was sitting outside at the time, said, "Since it is monsoon and frequent rains have occurred over the past few days, I feared that the houses here might get damaged. Fortunately, nothing has happened."

In Faridabad, similar scenes of panic were reported as people rushed out of buildings.

"I was having tea when I felt the bed shaking. I knew it was an earthquake and came out of the house. It was a strong one and went on for a few seconds," said Seema, a resident.

"My fan started shaking, and we came out of our homes. Everyone in the neighbourhood gathered in the open space," said Yogesh, another local from Faridabad.

While earthquakes of this magnitude are not uncommon in the Delhi region, major quakes have been rare in recent years.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation and have urged people to remain calm and follow safety protocols.

/IANS