3rd LD: Strong earthquake hits Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, casualty not reported yet

An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale hit parts of northern and eastern Pakistan on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Pakistan's meteorological department said the quake hit the country at 15:29:02 local time and its epicenter was determined at the Hindu Kush Mountain range, located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with a focal depth of 236 km.

The tremors were felt in the country's capital Islamabad, parts of eastern Punjab province and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including the capital city of Peshawar, and tribal areas.

The quake created panic among residents, but no loss of life or property has been reported yet.

Emergency has been declared in hospitals in Peshawar for possible quake victims.

The tremors were also felt in Afghanistan and India.

An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale jolted 39 km off Ashkasham of northeastern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province on Sunday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 210.42 km, was initially determined to be at 36.492 degrees north latitude and 71.1563 degrees east longitude.

Strong tremors were felt in Afghan capital Kabul and India around 16:00 p.m. New Delhi time.

Indian media reported that the strong quake hit the Hindu Kush region.

Tremors were also felt in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, Indian-controlled Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh, said meteorological officials in New Delhi.

People rushed outside from their homes and offices in New Delhi and Kabul, Xinhua's reporters witnessed. Endit