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PESHAWAR: A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit various parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Islamabad on Saturday evening, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
In a statement, the Met Office stated that the epicentre of the quake was Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, at a depth of 180km and a magnitude of 5.3 on the Richter scale.
Tremors were felt in Swat, Peshawar, Lower Dir, Swabi, Nowshera, Chitral, Mardan, Bajaur, Malakand, Pabbi, Akora, Islamabad and its surroundings. No loss of life or property has been reported thus far.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said its control room was fully functional and urged citizens to report any untoward incident to its helpline at 1700. Scores of people in different areas rushed out onto the streets in panic.
The tremors were also felt in parts of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and areas along the Line of Control (LoC), according to Indian media.
On December 8, parts of Karachi were jolted by a 4.1 magnitude earthquake. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the earthquake’s epicentre was 15km north of DHA Karachi and had a depth of 15km.
In October, at least 15 people were killed while more than 150 were injured after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck parts of Balochistan.
