Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan Hindu Kush Region, Felt in Parts of Pakistan

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region on Saturday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the same event at magnitude 6.1. Tremors were felt in Kabul as well as in Islamabad, Punjab province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Residents in Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ran out of their homes in panic. A local resident, Daniyal Ahmad, said the shaking in Swat was "very huge" and lasted for quite a long time. District administrations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were placed on alert.

Initial assessments found no casualties or damage. There was no immediate statement from Afghan officials. Pakistan lies along an active seismic zone and is frequently affected by earthquakes. A magnitude 7.6 quake in 2005 killed tens of thousands of people in Pakistan and Kashmir.