Strong earthquake of 6.1 magnitude jolts Pakistan, Afghanistan; 5.1 quake also tries Malaysia

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Pakistan's Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at around 2.24 am on Wednesday. At present, there is no news regarding loss of life and property. Tremors were felt in many places including Islamabad, Multan, Bhakar, Falia, Peshawar, Malakand, Swat, Mianwali, Pakpattan and Buner.

The shocks was also recorded in Lahore, Quetta, Faisalabad, Abbottabad, Kohat and Malakand, according to Geo News reported.  According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake struck about 44 km from the city of Khost in southeastern Afghanistan. It was at the depth of 51 km. 

Read | Tremors felt in Delhi-NCR, J-K because of earthquake at Afghanistan-Tajikistan border

According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), shaking was felt over a range of some 500 km. Tremors were also felt in some parts of India. 

The epicentre of the earthquake was south-west of Khost in Afghanistan. This was the third time during this week that tremors were felt in different areas of both the provinces. On Friday, there were two quakes in Rawalpindi and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Last month also, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan's Balochistan province. At least 80 houses collapsed in Khujdar district, leaving more than 200 families homeless. According to the National Centre for Seismology, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake also struck parts of Malaysia. The epicenter of the earthquake was 561 km west of the capital Kuala Lumpur.