Earthquake hits Kabul, Islamabad, India
People forced to leave homes after 6.6 magnitude quake shakes buildings in Kabul, Islamabad and Delhi
New Delhi: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 hit remote northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border on Sunday, shaking buildings in the Afghan and Pakistan capitals, witnesses and the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The USGS said the quake was centred near Chitral in Pakistan at a depth of 210km. It struck 282km northeast of the Afghan capital Kabul.
Tremors were also felt in the Indian capital and in Kashmir, witnesses said, forcing residents to leave homes. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The Delhi underground system was also halted briefly, commuters told the NDTV channel.
In Islamabad, terrified residents fled their homes and offices as buildings swayed. Television footage is reported to show people praying in public.
Pakistani official Arif Ullah told the Associated Press that the earthquake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale, contrary to the USGS's statement that is measured 6.6. Ullah said that the earthquake was centered near Afghanistan's border with Tajikistan.
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