Peshawar: A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck parts of Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan on Saturday, sending panicked residents across Pakistan rushing out of their homes, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The epicentre was in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The quake was felt in Islamabad, as well as in the eastern province of Punjab and the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan. Tremors were also felt in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Emergency services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said district administrations were placed on alert.
Anwar Shahzad, a spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said that initial assessments had found no reports of casualties or damage.
Pakistan lies along an active seismic zone and is frequently affected by earthquakes.