5.8-magnitude quake jolts Pakistan

Islamabad: An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale jolted Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, although there were no reports of casualties or injuries.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesman Taimur Ali said the earthquake was felt in Peshawar, Malakand, Mardan, Charsadda, Attock and in the Hazara division creating fear among locals.

Locals added that jolts were also felt in Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Torghar, Swat and other northern areas of the country, Dawn news reported.

Ali said that no causalities were reported yet, adding that the PDMA was in contact with the district administration to collect details of damage that might have occurred.

Pakistan’s National Seismic Monitoring Centre recorded the quake in the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan with a depth of 157 km.

Last week, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sending people out of buildings and on to the streets. The epicenter of the quake was in the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, according to data released by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

The two quakes come after a powerful 5.6-magnitude temblor rocked several cities and northern parts of the country on September 26, leaving at least 38 people dead, over 500 injured and thousands of houses and road infrastructure damaged.