Afghanistan quake shakes North India; 9 killed in Pakistan

Updated: Wednesday, March 22, 2023, 16:38 [IST]

An earthquake of 6.8 magnitude rattled much of Pakistan and Afghanistan, sending panicked residents fleeing from their homes and offices. The tremors were also felt across northern Indian states for over half a minute, prompting many residents to rush out of their homes and into the streets for safety around 10:20 PM on Tuesday, March 21.

Meanwhile, at least nine people died and more than 160 people were brought to hospitals in the Swat valley region of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in a state of shock, Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for Pakistan's emergency services said.

11 killed in Pakistan, No damage reported in India as 6.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Afghanistan — People gather outside their homes after tremors were felt due to an earthquake, in Srinagar. PTI

The epicentre of the earthquake was Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region, while its depth was 180 kilometres, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Earthquake tremors were felt in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Peshawar, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, and other areas of the country. Strong tremors were also felt in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Kot Momin, Madh Ranjha, Chakwal, Kohat and in Gilgit-Baltistan areas, local media reported. Television footage showed panic-stricken citizens out on the streets.

The earthquake killed nine people, including two women, and injured over 160 others as well as causing many buildings to collapse, authorities said, according to a Geo News report.

At the time of the earthquake, a stampede was reported in the markets of Rawalpindi, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has asked disaster management officials to remain vigilant to handle any situation, according to state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. An emergency was declared in the hospitals of the federal capital on the instructions of Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, The Express Tribune reported.

According to the international seismological centre, apart from Pakistan, tremors were also felt in India, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China and Kyrgyzstan. Earthquakes are common in Pakistan.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Islamabad in January this year. The deadliest quake hit the country in 2005, which killed more than 74,000 people.