1st LD Writethru: 5.9-magnitude earthquake hits parts of Pakistan

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit parts of Pakistan on Friday afternoon, met office reported.

The Pakistan meteorological department said that the quake's epicenter was determined at Afghanistan's Hindu Kush Mountain range with a focal depth of 230 km.

Director General of met office, Ghulam Rasool, said that the quake lasted for six to seven seconds and several mild to strong earthquakes are likely to hit the country in the coming few days.

He explained that the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, which lie near the Hindu Kush mountain range, are currently active which is likely to cause earthquakes.

He said that when the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates interact with each other, they release energy that causes seismic waves.

Tremors of Friday afternoon's earthquake were felt in the country's capital Islamabad and parts of east Punjab and northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The tremblor created panic in the people, but no loss of life or property has been reported yet.

This was the fourth earthquake, measuring over 5 magnitude that hit the country over the last two weeks.

The major 6.9-magnitude quake during the period happened on December. 26 last year which left two people dead and over 60 others injured in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Earlier on October 27 last year, an 8.1-magnitude earthquake killed over 280 people and injured hundreds others.

The met office said that over 175 after-shocks hit the country since then. Enditem