A moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale shook Islamabad and several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, prompting widespread panic as residents rushed outdoors in fear.
The National Seismological Center reported that tremors were strongly felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Swat, and Chitral. The quake originated from the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, with its epicenter recorded at a depth of 195 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of alarm as people quickly evacuated their homes and workplaces, reciting prayers while gathering in open areas for safety. Despite the intensity of the shocks, officials reassured the public that no loss of life or property damage had been reported in the affected areas.
The Hindu Kush mountain range is recognized as a seismically active zone, often producing earthquakes due to its complex fault lines. Such quakes are not unusual for Pakistan and its neighboring countries, where tectonic movements in this region frequently cause noticeable tremors, though not always resulting in destruction.
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