A 6.4-magnitude earthquake on Friday jolted northeast and northwestern Pakistan and parts of Azad Jammu and K
ashmir, sending thousands of panicked people onto the streets.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre in
Islamabad recorded the depth of the earthquake at 210 kilometers, and its epicenter at the Hindu Kush mountain ra
nge.
No causalities have been reported so far.
The magnitude 6.1 quake was centred in mountainous Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, at a depth of 210 km (130 miles), the US Geological Survey said.
Tremors were felt in the capital
Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sargodha, Mianwali, Peshawar, Kohat, Swat, Chitral, Dir, Shangla, and other districts of Punjab, and Khyber Paktunkhawa. Huge shocks were als
o felt in Mirpur, Kotli, and other districts of Azad Jammu and K
ashmir.
Footage aired on local TV channels showed panicked people coming out of houses and offices and gathering in open spaces.
Waseem Ahmad, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority in
Islamabad, estimated the quake to be about 6.4 magnitude.
“I was with my kids at a badminton court when we felt strong jolts,” said NusratJabeen in
Islamabad. “It was very scary. We felt everything was shaking. We ran out for safety.”
Tremors were als
o felt in Indian-held K
ashmir as well where people rushed out of their homes and offices.
Pakistan is among the most earthquake-prone regions in the world. The country is located on the Eurasian Tectonic Plate, which is known for high levels of seismic activity.
This September, over 40 people were killed and more than 300 injured after a strong earthquake rocked Mirpur in Azad K
ashmir.
In October 2005, a massive earthquake killed over 80,000 people in Azad K
ashmir and the Khyber Pakhtu
nkhwa province.
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