5.7 magnitude earthquake jolts Islamabad and KP

ISLAMABAD: An earthquake measuring 5.7 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted Islamabad as well as parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ARY News reported on Monday.

Tremors felt at KP’s Abbottabad, Malakand, Hazara division, Mansehra, Buner and Swat districts, causing panic among residents and forcing many people to rush out of homes and offices.

The tremors were also felt in Punjab’s Sahiwal district and adjoining areas.

As per the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC), the tremors had a depth of 170 km measuring 5.7 magnitude, while the epicenter was located in the Hindu Kush region along the Afghanistan and Tajikistan border.

There was no immediate confirmation of casualties or damage at the time of reporting, while authorities were expected to issue more details on the nature of the quake.

Earlier, on April 03 earthquake tremors measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale jolted several cities across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), as well as Islamabad.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department’s National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) said that the earthquake was recorded at 9:13 pm PST,

As per the NSMC, the tremors had a depth of 190 km, while the epicenter was located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.

The earthquake was also felt in Gilgit Baltistan.