6.8 magnitude earthquake rattles many cities of Pakistan

An earthquake of 6.8 magnitudes jolted parts of Pakistan for at least 30 seconds on Tuesday, however, it was not immediately clear whether the tremor had caused any damage or casualties.

Earthquake tremors were felt in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Peshawar, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, and other areas of the country.

The epicentre of the earthquake was Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, while its depth was 180 kilometres, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

The earthquake’s effects were also felt in Peshawar, Swabi, Lodhran, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Skardu, Kohat, Toba Tek Singh, Parachinar, Nowshera, and Khanewal.

Meanwhile, teams of the city administration are visiting the areas to inspect the affected buildings and facilitate the citizens.

Shaking could be felt as far as the Indian capital, New Delhi, Reuters reported.

Large parts of South Asia are seismically active because a tectonic plate known as the Indian plate is pushing north into the Eurasian plate.

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“People ran out of their houses and were reciting the Quran,” media reported.

In light of the powerful tremors felt in several parts of the country, Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel issued an emergency alert at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) as well as Federal Government Polyclinic.

“The hospital administration should ensure advance measures to deal with any emergency situation,” he said.

Several injured in quake-related incidents

Several people sustained injuries in earthquake-related incidents across the county, however, no death is reported so far.

According to police, seven people were brought to the district hospital in the Timergara area of Lower Dir. Most of the people were injured in a stampede during the earthquake, the official added.

During the tremors, the roof of a house caved in Jamrud. No causality was reported in the incident, the police confirmed.

In twin cities — Islamabad and Rawalpindi — cracks emerged in various high-rise commercial and residential buildings and flats, triggering panic among the residents.