6.4 magnitude earthquake hits Pakistan, tremors felt in various cities

The quake hit just 276 kilometres north of Peshawar, and measured at a depth of 212 kilometres

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 6.4 on the Richter scale jolted many parts of Pakistan on Monday.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Director General Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Dr Ghulam Rasul said the quake was initially recorded at 6.7 on the Richter scale but after collecting data from affected cities across the country, it was calculated at 6.4.

He said the epicentre of the earthquake was at Afghanistan-Tajikistan Border and measuring at the depth of 212 kilometres.

Explaining the phenomena, Rasul said such earthquakes occur when an Indian Plate and Eurasian plate interact with each other and release energy causing seismic waves.

“Such kind of moderate earthquake are very common in Hindu Kush Range and earthquake of magnitude 5 and above measuring at the depth of more than 100 km are not devastating,” Rasul added.

The vicinity of the epicentre was not populated and, therefore, no loss of life were reported in the area.

"An earthquake jolted different parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with 6.0 magnitude with epicentre in Hindu Kush Mountains range, Afghanistan, having coordinates of 36.52 N and 71.30 E," a spokesperson at the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed earlier.

PDMA are in close co-ordination with all district administrations.

According to the United States Geological Survey, however, the earthquake measured 5.7 at the epicentre.

Prelim M5.7 earthquake 36.521,71.203 Aug-10 10:05 UTC, updates http://t.co/11XYl0WYAb

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) August 10, 2015

Met department said tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Shangla, Buner, Lower Dir, Mardan, Charsada, Peshawar, Swat, Muzaffarabad, Attock, Wazirabad, Daska, Sheikhpura, Gujrat, Khushab, Murree, Khyber Agency, Malakand, Sargodha, Nowshera, Bhalwal, Bagh, Rawlakot, Skardu, Gilgit, Chitral and other areas.

Read: Strong earthquake jolts Islamabad, parts of K-P

While no loss of life was reported, a government rest house in Kel, Neelum Valley was damaged.