Major quake jolts North India, Pakistan & Afghanistan

A major earthquake measuring at least 7.5 on the Richter scale on Monday jolted large parts of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, causing widespread panic, officials here said.

The India Meteorological Department said the epicentre of the quake lay in the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan.

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre lay 45 km south-southwest of Jarm in Afghanistan, around 240 km from capital Kabul. It put the intensity at 7.7 on the Richter scale.

The Pakistani met department put the intensity even higher -- at 8.1.

The tremors jolted the whole of northern India including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Everywhere, tens of thousands of people fled out of their homes and high-rise buildings.

In the capital, Delhi Metro immediately suspended its services. The quake also affected telecom services in Delhi and neighbouring regions as hundreds of thousands of people began telephoning one another.

The Pakistani media said the quake was felt in all major cities including Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, at least 13 people were killed in Pakistan on Monday when a major earthquake with its epicentre in Afghanistan hit parts of the country, media reports said.

The quake was felt in most of the northern parts of Pakistan including such major cities as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sargoda and Kohat, officials said.

Four people were killed in the Bajaur tribal region near the Afghanistan border after buildings collapsed in the area, Dawn reported.

A child was killed in Kallar Kahar and six people were killed in Swat Valley, it added. A wall collapsed in Sargoda in Punjab province, injuring 10 people.

Dunya News TV reported that a part of Bala Hissar fort in Peshawar had been damaged.

Authorities said the Pakistan Army had been put on alert.

Troops had been directed "to carry out immediate rescue work in any affected areas without waiting for formal orders", military spokesman Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa tweeted.
 

 

Earthquake update:Army troops directed to carry out immediate rescue work in any affected areas without waiting for formal orders-1

— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) October 26, 2015

Army teams had been sent out for a quick assessment of earthquake damages across the country, he said.

The official added that all command military hospitals had been put on high alert.