Earthquake shakes northern Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (1st Lead)

Apr 3, 2007, 6:35 GMT

Kabul/New Delhi - An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale shook the Hindukush area of northern Afghanistan Tuesday and the tremor was felt in India and Pakistan.

   There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.       The United States Geological Survey said the quake measured magnitude 6.2 and the epicentre was 260 kilometres north-east of Kabul.

    Said Ahmad, a resident of northern Badakhshan, near the epicentre, said that he felt strong tremors, which continued for more than a minute.

'A lot of panicky people rushed out of their houses but so far we don't see any damage,' he said.

   The Indian Meterological Department said a moderate earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook parts of the northern Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh states Tuesday morning.

   People fled out of their homes but their were no reports of any damage or casualties, PTI news agency reported.

    In Pakistan's capital Islamabad people fled their houses in panic, witnesses said.

   In October 2005 a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in northern Pakistan and in Indian-admistered Kashmir killed more than 74,000 people and left 3 million homeless.