5.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Islamabad and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The Seismological Centre says the 10:49 p.m. tremor was centred in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush at a depth of 84 kilometres, and no casualties have been reported.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook Islamabad and districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late on Sunday night, sending residents out of their homes and into open ground, with no casualties or damage reported from any part of the country.
The Seismological Centre said the tremor struck at 10:49 p.m. Its epicentre was in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region, at a depth of 84 kilometres, UrduPoint reported, citing centre officials.
In Islamabad, and in Swabi, Shabqadar, Chitral and Lower Dir, people left their buildings as the shaking began and recited the Kalima, according to UrduPoint. Many stayed outside for some time after the tremors stopped as a precaution, the outlet reported.
Samaa reported tremors in Battagram, Nowshera, Khyber, Abbottabad, Chitral, Buner, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Swat and surrounding areas, and said residents rushed out of their homes and buildings reciting the Kalima Tayyiba.
Initial accounts from district administrations and rescue agencies said no loss of life or property had been reported. Samaa said the local administration and relevant authorities were monitoring the situation.
The Hindu Kush is one of the region's most earthquake-prone ranges, and tremors originating beneath it regularly reach northern Pakistan and the upper districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. UrduPoint's report said such earthquakes occur when rock layers deep in the earth shift or collide suddenly, releasing built-up pressure.
How the reports differ
Samaa named Battagram, Nowshera, Khyber, Abbottabad, Chitral, Buner, Lower Dir, Upper Dir and Swat among the areas where tremors were felt, while UrduPoint listed Islamabad, Swabi, Shabqadar, Chitral and Lower Dir. UrduPoint alone carried the Seismological Centre's readings: a magnitude of 5.3 at 10:49 p.m., with the epicentre in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush at a depth of 84 kilometres. Both reported that no loss of life or property had been recorded, and Samaa said the local administration and relevant authorities were monitoring the situation.
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