There were no immediate reports of major damage, but terrified residents rushed outside as buildings shook.

The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 4.0 quake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres (6 miles).

"We hope you all are safe, Delhi", police said in a post on social media, issuing an emergency number for help.

Northern India lies on a major geological faultline where the Indian tectonic plate pushes up into the Eurasian plate, forming the Himalayas, and earthquakes are a regular occurrence.