11 dead as powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake jolts Pak, Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: A strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake with the epicentre in Afghanistan shook Pakistan, killing at least nine people in the country and injuring over 160 others and causing many buildings to collapse, according to media reports on Wednesday.

Two persons were also killed in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported.

The earthquake's epicentre was Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region, while its depth was 180 kilometres, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. Tremors were also felt in many parts of north India, including the Delhi-National Capital Region.

In Pakistan, earthquake tremors were felt in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Peshawar, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Kot Momin, Madh Ranjha, Chakwal, Kohat and Gilgit-Baltistan areas.

Television footage showed panic-stricken citizens out on the streets.

The earthquake killed nine people, including two women, and injured over 160 others in Pakistan as well as causing many buildings to collapse, Geo News quoted officials as saying.

At the time of the earthquake, a stampede was reported in the markets of Rawalpindi, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has asked disaster management officials to remain vigilant to handle any situation.

An emergency was declared in the hospitals of the federal capital on the instructions of Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Sharafat Zaman Amerkhail, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health, said that the heads of all medical centres have been instructed to prepare staff for possible casualties from the earthquake.

According to the international seismological centre, apart from Pakistan and India, tremors were also felt in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China and Kyrgyzstan.

Earthquakes are common in Pakistan.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Islamabad in January this year.

The deadliest quake to hit Pakistan in 2005 killed more than 74,000 people.