Swat hit by 4.6 magnitude earthquake

SWAT: An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale jolted the city of Mingora in Swat and its surrounding areas on Saturday morning, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC).

The earthquake’s depth was recorded at 64 kilometers, with its epicenter located in the Hindu Kush Mountain range.

The seismic activity caused brief panic among residents, and people came out of their homes in fear, reciting the Kalma-e-Tayyaba. However, no immediate reports of damage or casualties were received.

Tremors were also felt in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Last Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, jolted a region home to 28 million, toppling buildings such as hospitals, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter.

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Deaths rose to 3,085 on Thursday, with 4,715 injured and 341 missing, the ruling junta said.

The World Health Organization flagged a rising risk of cholera and other diseases in the worst-affected areas, such as Mandalay, Sagaing and the capital of Naypyitaw, while it prepared $1 million of relief supplies, including body bags.

“Cholera remains a particular concern for all of us,” said Elena Vuolo, the deputy head of its Myanmar office, pointing to an outbreak last year in Mandalay.

The risk was worsened by damage to about half of healthcare facilities in the quake-hit areas, including hospitals destroyed by the earthquake in Mandalay and Naypyitaw, she added.