5.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Pakistan

Islamabad (PNA/Xinhua) — An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale jolted parts of eastern and northwestern Pakistan on early Tuesday morning, said the authorities.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the tremors hit the country at 3:07 a.m. local time and its epicenter was located at Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region.

The PMD further added that the focal depth of the quake was determined at 171 km.

Local Urdu TV channel Geo reported that the quake hit parts of eastern Punjab province, northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the capital city Islamabad.

The tremors caused panic among the people, however, no loss of life or property has been reported yet.

Pakistan, especially its northern and northwestern areas, are located in one of the most earthquake prone zones of the world, with high vulnerability to earthquakes.

Geographically, Pakistan lies in the collision zone of the India tectonic plate to the south and the Eurasian plate to the north. (PNA/Xinhua) FFC/EBP