— No reports of any damages thus far, reports state broadcaster
ISLAMABAD: A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has rattled much of Pakistan, sending panicked residents fleeing from homes and offices, and frightening people even in remote villages, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said.
The epicentre of the earthquake, which occurred at 10:50 am, was located at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, with a depth of 223 kilometres, according to Radio Pakistan.
The Associated Press of Pakistan reported that tremors were experienced not only in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad but also in several other cities, including Lahore, Peshawar, Swabi, Swat, and the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan.
There have been no reports of any damages thus far.
According to Indian media, the tremors, which lasted for a few seconds, were also felt in occupied Kashmir, across the capital city of Delhi, and parts of the northwestern states of Punjab and Haryana.
The US Geological Survey (USGS), a renowned American government agency responsible for monitoring seismic activity worldwide, has announced that a 5.2 magnitude earthquake occurred approximately 35 kilometres southeast of Jurm village in Afghanistan.
Earthquakes are more likely in this region because it lies at the juncture of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. A magnitude 7.6 quake in October 2005 killed thousands of people in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
In March, at least 19 people were killed and more than 200 wounded after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake shook large parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Before that, in June of last year, more than 1,000 people were killed after a 5.9-magnitude quake struck Afghanistan’s Paktika province, the nation’s deadliest in nearly a quarter of a century.
