Earthquake tremors felt in Peshawar, surrounding areas

ISLAMABAD: A moderate earthquake struck northwest Pakistan, causing panic in towns and cities, but there are no immediate reports of casualties or damage, an official said. Mohammad Riaz, a senior scientist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department, said the magnitude 6.0 quake was felt in the northwestern city of Peshawar and several nearby areas on Saturday. He said the quake's epicentre was located in the Hindu Kush in neighbouring Afghanistan. Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan is often hit by earthquakes. In September 2013, a magnitude-7.7 quake struck the Balochistan province, killing at least 376 people and creating a new island in the Arabian Sea. Earlier on Friday, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake had struck southwestern Pakistan with its epicentre in the city of Khuzdar, in Balochistan province and at a depth of 26 kilometres. The quake, which struck late morning, was also felt in surrounding towns and districts.