Mild earthquake shakes Lahore, Islamabad and upper parts of country

LAHORE - A 5.5 magnitude  earthquake jolted several cities in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan early Tuesday, stirring panic among the masses.

Tremors were felt in several cities including Lahore, Islamabad, Nowshera and Ghizer Valley. As soon as the earth shook, people came out of their houses in a bid to take shelter at safer places.

The earthquake struck early morning at 4:05 am, according to the seismological center. Its epicenter was located in Hindukush region, Afghanistan, at a depth of 180 kilometers and due to the same depth, it did not cause any catastrophe.

Fortunately, no loss of life or property was reported in its wake.

Pakistan is situated in a seismically active zone at a juncture of the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates that collide in the region, which often leaves its residents the victims of deadly earthquakes.

In October 2015, a 7.5-magnitude quake in Pakistan and Afghanistan killed almost 400 people, flattening buildings in rugged terrain that impeded relief efforts.

The country was also hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake on Oct. 8, 2005 that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.