Moderate earthquake jolts parts of Pakistan

A moderate 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted northern and central Pakistan including the Multan, Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Ruknee and capital Islamabad on Monday but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, an official said.The epicentre of the quake was 188 kilometres north of Islamabad in Faizabad district of northern Afghanistan in the Hindu Kush mountain range, chief meteorologist Mohammad Riaz toldthis scribe.
Tremors were felt at 2:49 pm in several cities in central Punjab, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, capital Islamabad, and parts of Kashmir, he said.
The US Geological Survey confirmed the earthquake and magnitude, adding that it struck at a depth of 184.6 kilometres.
Pakistan was hit by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake on October 8, 2005 that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.