New Delhi: A strong earthquake today struck the Hindukush mountain region in Afghanistan, ripples of which were felt in Pakistan and several parts of Northern India.
The earthquake was centred at a depth of 236 km, Dawn online quoted Pakistan Meteorological Department as saying.
Tremors were felt in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Swat Valley, Chitral, and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
According to J L Gautam, Operations Head of National Centre for Seismology, "The earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale at a depth of 190 km hit Hindukush mountain region at 3:58 PM."
However, Pakistani authorities said the earthquake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale while The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake at 6.6 magnitude.
An official of National Disaster Management Authority said that at least one person was killed in Buner area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province while nine were injured in the provincial capital Peshawar due to the quake.
The quake also had a impact on Northern India as it shook the the National Capital and surrounding regions at 4:01 PM today. Strong tremors were felt in parts of Delhi and NCR triggering a sense of panic among people, many of whom rushed out of their homes for safety.
Delhi Fire Department and police officials said control rooms have not received any calls reporting major damage or collapse of any buildings.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was in Delhi Secretariat when the tremors were felt tweeted, "earthquake!!! It was really scary! I could see plants and furniture shaking at 6th floor office of Delhi secretariat. Wish all is well".
Delhi Metro services were affected for a brief period in the wake of the tremor and resumed later.
"Service were halted briefly after the quake but we resumed operations soon after," a Delhi Metro official said.
In north India, tremors were also felt in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana, besides Delhi.
Jammu and Kashmir's former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to wish for the well-being of people.
