At least 9 dead as powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocks Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A earthquake magnitude 6.8 shook parts of Pakistan on Tuesday, killing nine people and injuring more than 160 others, local media reported.
The earthquake’s epicenter was the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, while its depth was 180 kilometers, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Earthquakes were felt in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Peshawar, Kohat, Lakki Marwat and other parts of the country.
Strong tremors were also felt in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Kot Momin, Madh Ranjha, Chakwal, Kohat and Gilgit-Baltistan regions, local media reported.
Television footage showed panicked citizens on the streets.
The quake killed nine people, including two women, and injured more than 160 others and caused the collapse of many buildings, authorities said, according to a Geo News report.
At the time of the quake, a stampede was reported in markets in Rawalpindi, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has asked disaster management officials to remain vigilant to handle any situation, according to The Associated Press of Pakistan.
An emergency has been declared at hospitals in the federal capital on the instructions of Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, The Express Tribune reported.
According to the International Seismological Center, besides Pakistan, tremors were also felt in India, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China and Kyrgyzstan.
Earthquakes are common in Pakistan.
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Islamabad in January this year.
The deadliest earthquake hit the country in 2005, killing more than 74,000 people

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