At least 12 people killed as strong earthquake rattles Pakistan, Afghanistan

TIL Desk/World/Kabul/Islamabad/ At least 12 people were killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan following a powerful 6.5-magnitude quake that struck the two neighbouring nations, with tremors also felt across north India. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre of the Tuesday night tremor, with a depth of 187.589 km, was initially determined to be at 36.5227 degrees north latitude and 70.9787 degrees east longitude in Jurm, Afghanistan.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Disaster Management Authority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said five men, two women and two children were killed in the Pakistani province. At least 21 women, 19 men and seven children were also injured and admitted to different hospitals for treatment, the Authority added.

Ensuing landslides have also blocked roads in the city of Abbotabad as well as the Karakoram Highway in the Harban area of Kohistan. Major Pakistani cities, including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Muzaffarabad, Peshawar, Haripur, Mardan, Chitral, Charsadda, also felt the quake. Videos from Islamabad show panic-stricken people, especially those living in high-rises, rushing out of their homes.