March 4, 2002	Monday	Zilhaj 19, 1422

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PESHAWAR, March 3: A strong earthquake measuring 6.7 on Richter scale jolted northern and central areas of the country, besides Azad Kashmir, Afghanistan and India on Sunday.

However, no reports of casualty were received from any part of Pakistan.

The local Met Office said that the epicentre of the quake was in the Hindukush mountains of Afghanistan, 250km north of Peshawar. “It was severe and terrible,” remarked an official.

The earthquake, which struck at 5.08pm, was severely felt in Peshawar Valley, Parachinar, tribal areas, Muzaffarabad, Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Vehari, Jhelum, Quetta and Northern Areas including Gilgit and Chitral.

The same intensity earthquake also jolted Kabul, Jalalabad and other parts of Afghanistan, according to Met officials.

Sources in the Lady Reading Hospital said that four persons, including an Afghan refugee, with minor head injuries were brought to the hospital’s emergency.

The injured were identified as Ghulam Hussain, 80, Bilal Ahmad Amir, 10, Syed Masoom, 5, and Ms Merzia. Two mud-houses reportedly collapsed at Zargarabad in the Peshawar city, while the house of Gul Nawaz in Yakatoot was partially damaged.

Residents of provincial metropolis rushed out into the open and drivers stopped their vehicles to avoid any eventuality. Cracks appeared in many buildings. Reports reaching here said that tremors were also felt in Parachinar, Charsadda and Mardan districts. Till the filing of this report no report of casualty was received from any part of the province or tribal areas.

ISLAMABAD: The quake caused panic among the residents of the federal capital and Rawalpindi, specially those living in multi-storey buildings.

Children started screaming while adults rushed to open areas. A resident said staffers of all those offices which were open on Sunday came out of their buildings.

The final seismological report would confirm the duration of the quake but the jolts were felt for about two minutes in the upper parts of the country.

According to reports windowpanes of some buildings at Zero Point were damaged.

Tremors were felt even in vehicles and majority of the drivers on the Murree Road halted their vehicles. Passersby also felt the jolts and stopped walking.

LAHORE: The earthquake of long duration shook several cities in the Punjab here on Sunday afternoon.

It jolted for over two minutes most parts of the province, including Lahore and Faisalabad.

Met Department Director in Lahore Shaukat Awan said its duration varied from three to four minutes in various cities. It was 2.25 minutes in Lahore which was unusual.

Other officials termed the earthquake severe. Its longer duration was particularly fearsome, they said. The jolts drove people out of their homes.

OKARA: Earthquake which jolted the city on 5.14pm caused visible cracks in three buildings on Deepalpur Road.

MUZAFFARABAD: People came out of their houses in panic, reciting verses from the Holy Quran as a severe earthquake struck the area in the afternoon.

However, no loss of life or property was reported from anywhere till the filing of this report. Elders in the city said they had not witnessed such a strong quake during the last one decade.

KABUL: A powerful earthquake struck the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, rattling buildings and cars, add agencies.

The quake struck 4:40pm local time and lasted for more than three minutes, forcing people to come out in open places.

NEW DELHI: Strong tremors jolted the Indian capital on Sunday but there was no immediate report of damage or casualties.

The quake hit New Delhi around 17:45 (1215 GMT) and lasted almost 60 seconds, prompting people to flee their homes, the fire department said.