Earthquake jolts parts of Pakistan

Islamabad: An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale hit parts of Pakistan's capital Islamabad, northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and west Punjab provinces on Thursday afternoon.

The quake's epicentre was determined near Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Hindukush mountain region, with a focal depth of 202 km, the Pakistan Meteorological Department reported on its website. 

The tremors jolted Swat, Malakand, Mansehra districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad districts of Punjab province, and their adjoining areas.

The quake caused panic among the people, but no loss of life has been immediately reported in the earthquake.

Pakistan is located in one of the areas most earthquake prone with high vulnerability to earthquakes.

Geographically, the country lies in the collision zone of the India tectonic plate to the south and the Eurasian plate to the north.