earthquake
People gather outside buildings following an earthquake tremor in Peshawar, Pakistan December 20, 2019. Image Credit: REUTERS

New Delhi: A massive earthquake, measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale, was recorded in Afghanistan on Friday evening, the IMD said.

Tremors of the quake, which occurred at 5.09 p.m. and whose epicentre was in the Hindu Kush mountains 246 km north by northeast of Kabul, were also felt in Pakistan and the Delhi-NCR region.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre of the earthquake was located 51 kilometres southwest of Jarm province in north-eastern Afghanistan.

earthquake
People gather outside buildings after an earthquake in Islamabad on December 20, 2019. Image Credit: AFP

The quake rattled Afghanistan and Pakistan Friday afternoon, the US Geological Survey said, forcing residents into the streets in Islamabad and Kabul.

In both capital cities, residents felt two quakes in quick succession, however there were no immediate reports of damage.

People are out of the buildings in Blue Area of Islamabad after earthquake
People are out of the buildings in Blue Area of Islamabad after earthquake. Image Credit: Twitter/@SherySyed2

The depth of the quake was 190 km, as per the India Meteorological Department, which initially estimated its magnitude at 7.1 before revising it.

Haryana and Himachal Pradesh at 5.13 p.m., an official of the meteorological office in Chandigarh told IANS.

In Delhi, people panicked in offices and homes as fans and hanging lights were seen shaking under the impact of the tremor.

Details of casualties or damage were not yet known.