Summary Tremors traced to Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, officials confirm.
(Reuters) – More than 20 people were injured and dozens of houses were damaged in different areas of Musakhail district when a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck northern areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan on Saturday.
A strong earthquake struck Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said, sending out tremors that could be felt from the capital Kabul across the border into neighbouring Pakistan.
There were no immediate official reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake, but checks were ongoing, the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement.
But, the disaster management authority in Pakistan's Balochistan province said around 125 houses were damaged, adding that relief teams were sent to the affected area along with tents and food, solar panels, blankets and other items.
The injuries were reported by the district's Deputy Commissioner Abdul Razzaq Khajak while talking to Reuters.
People ran out of their doors in panic in Swat district in northern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resident Daniyal Ahmad told Reuters. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
"It was very huge here in Swat and it lasted for quite a long time," he said.
"People came out of their houses and women and children were seen crying in panic."
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the damage caused and ordered an urgent response from the authorities to help those affected, his office said.
The earthquake shook Islamabad, Lahore and several other cities as tremors were felt across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and surrounding regions.
People in several areas rushed out of homes and offices following the shaking. In Muzaffarabad, people reportedly came out of their homes reciting verses.
Initial reports indicated that the earthquake measured 5.9 on the Richter scale. The epicentre of the earthquake was located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region. The depth of the earthquake was around 178 to 191 kilometres underground.
