A 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook Islamabad and multiple areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, according to a statement from the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Seismic Network.
The tremors were felt in Peshawar, Attock, Chitral and adjacent areas as well. However, no casualties or damage was reported from the activity.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the quake struck at a depth of 195 kilometres, with its epicentre located in the Hindu Kush region.
Earthquakes have frequently rattled the region, especially Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years. Record shows seismic activity in neighbouring countries lying at intersection of Indian, Eurasian tectonic plates.
Last month, Afghanistan witnessed a massive magnitude 6 earthquake in the rugged eastern region of of the country, killing more than 2200 people and injuring several thousands others.
Several parts of Pakistan including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Mardan, Chitral, Murree and adjoining areas also felt the tremors in the following days with reports of effect being felt as far away as Lahore, panicking citizens into rushing out of their homes.
— With additional information from Reuters
