Peshawar, (Pakistan Point News – 1st October, 2016) : Strong earthquake jolted different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir areas on Saturday. Tremors were felt in Abbottabad and surrounding areas including Swat, Batagram, Shangla, Gilgit, Chalas, Ghazdar, Skardu, Mansehra. Tremors were also felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Malakand and Hazara division. Neelum valley and Leepa valley also rocked due to earthquake.
The magnitude recorded was 5.5, the Met department reported. The United States Geological Service (USGS) reported that the epicentre of the earthquake to be 43.4km below the surface at Athmuqam 73km from Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir. The tremors continued for 30 seconds, forcing residents to leave homes. People left their houses and workplaces and headed out for open spaces fearing a strong earthquake. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
