At least 2 dead as powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake jolts Pakistan

Islamabad: At least two people were killed and six injured as a 6.8 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Pakistan on Tuesday, local media reported.

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

According to initial reports, tremors were felt in various cities, including Islamabad, Peshawar, Charsadda, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

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.

An interim report from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority said that two people died and six people were injured from incidents of roof, wall and house collapses while eight homes were partially damaged in the province, the Dawn reported.

However, Swat District Police Officer Shafiullah Gandapur told Dawn.com that two people died in the district while 150 were injured, adding that they were moved to Saidu Teaching Hospital for treatment.

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.