A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck parts of northern India on Wednesday, rattling buildings in the capital New Delhi, a government official and witnesses said.

The epicentre was located around 450 kilometres (280 miles) north of New Delhi, according to an official at the Indian Meteorological Department.

"The quake measured 5.8 on the Richter scale and struck along the border of the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh," the official, who declined to give his name, told AFP.

There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties.

The US Geological Survey gave the magnitude of the quake in eastern Kashmir as 5.7. Minor tremors were felt in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

A powerful earthquake that hit Iran last month also shook buildings in New Delhi, causing frightened office workers to run into the streets.

India's capital regularly experiences minor tremors, usually from distant earthquakes in remote areas of the Himalayas.