6.1 magnitude earthquake jolts Afghanistan, tremors felt in Delhi, north India

PTI

New Delhi, January 11

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck Afghanistan on Thursday with tremors rippling through parts of north India, the National Centre for Seismology said.

The epicentre for the quake, which struck at 2.50 pm IST, was 241 kilometres north-northeast of Kabul, it said.

The quake triggered panic, with many in Delhi and the National Capital Region reporting shaking of furniture.

Meanwhile, tremors were also felt in multiple cities across Pakistan, according to the country's meteorological department. So far, there have been no reports of loss of life or property.

The 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck at 2:20 pm (local time) in the Hindu Kush region at a depth of 213 kms, the Pakistan Meteorological Department posted on X.

Tremors were felt in Islamabad, Lahore, and its surrounding areas, and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to DawnNews TV channel.

Other cities that rocked after the jolts include Punjab's Sargodha, Khushab and its surroundings, Mandi Bahauddin, Bhakkar, and Nowshera.

The earthquake was also felt in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Muzaffarabad, Geo News said.

Quoting the US Geological Survey (USGS) data, Dawn reported that the quake's magnitude was 6.4 while its epicentre was 44 kms south-southeast of Jurm in Afghanistan. Jurm is about 500 kms north-east of Kabul.

It also quoted chief meteorologist at PMD, Sardar Sarfaraz, who said aftershocks could definitely be expected as was common after major earthquakes. “The same had also happened in Japan, which was struck by a powerful earthquake on January 1,” he said.

Pakistan lies in a seismic region that experiences frequent quakes and tremors of varying intensity. The deadliest one hit the country in October 2005, which killed more than 74,000 people, and wreaked havoc on a massive scale.

At least two powerful earthquakes in Afghanistan have killed more than 2,000 people and injured more than 9,000 in October 2023.

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