Earthquake jolts Islamabad, K-P

Measured at 5.3 magnitude on the Richter scale; kills at least eight people in northeast Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD:

Tremors were felt in Islamabad and different parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) early on Monday morning, according to officials.

The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 5.3 on the Richter scale and the epicentre was at a depth of 10km in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.

According to the Seismological Centre, the earthquake was felt in the suburbs of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

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In K-P, people in Peshawar, Mardan, Abbottabad, Swabi, Shabqadar and other areas felt the tremors, leading them to leave their homes and come out into open places.

However, no casualties or injuries were reported.

Afghanistan suffers

The earthquake killed at least eight people in northeast Afghanistan and, according to a regional official, the casualties could rise.

"Sunday night's earthquake has caused financial and human losses in Kunar province," said Mawlavi Najibullah Hanif, the spokesman for the provincial governor.

According to initial reports, the death toll was six, with nine injured, said disaster ministry spokesman Mohammad Nassim Haqqani.

Afghanistan is still recovering from a strong earthquake in June that killed more than 1,000 and wiped out villages in its east.