5.8 magnitude earthquake hits PoK\, 19 dead\, many injured; Tremors felt across North India

5.8 magnitude earthquake hits PoK, 19 dead, many injured; Tremors felt across North India

Islamabad, Sep 24: 19 people have died and many injured after an earthquake measuring 5.8 on the richter scale jolted parts of North India and Pakistan on Tuesday. The tremors were felt around 04:35 pm.

The quake struck 14 miles (23 km) north of Jhelum, Pakistan, at a relatively shallow depth of 10 km, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The USGS said the magnitude of the earthquake was 5.8 on Richter scale with the epicenter being 10 km deep.

Reports of tremors are coming from New Delhi, Chandigarh, Kashmir as well as several towns in Pakistan, including Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtun region.

Pakistan Meteorological Department's earthquake centre said the 5.8-magnitude earthquake was located near the mountainous city of Jehlum in Punjab province. Its depth was at 10 kilometres. However, Minister for Science Fawad Chaudhry said that the intensity of the quake was 7.1.

The quake was powerful and created panic as people ran out of the building, eyewitnesses said. One woman was killed and more than 50 people, including women and children, were injured and shifted to a hospital in Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after a building collapsed following the earthquake, Deputy Commissioner Raja Qaiser was quoted as saying by the Geo News.

Pakistan Meteorological Department's earthquake centre said the 5.8-magnitude earthquake was located near the mountainous city of Jehlum in Punjab province. Its depth was at 10 kilometres. However, Minister for Science Fawad Chaudhry said that the intensity of the quake was 7.1.

According to the private earthquake monitoring agencies, the epicentre is somewhere in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. It has been measured at 6.1 on the Richter scale.

Tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Jhelum, Charsadda, Swat, Khyber, Abbottabad, Bajaur, Nowshera, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar and Kohitan.

According to initial reports, around 50 people were wounded due to the earthquake in Mirpur.

The quake was powerful and created panic as people ran out of building, eyewitnesses said. Parts of a mosque also collapsed in the area.

TV channels showed the footage of heavily damaged roads in Mirpur, with many vehicles overturned. Several cities including Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Skardu, Kohat, Charsadda, Kasur, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Sialkot, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Chitral, Malakand, Multan, Shangla, Okara, Nowshera, Attock and Jhang felt the tremor.

Meanwhile, hashtag #earthquake started immediately trending on Twitter, where the users have shared their videos.

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