ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: As many as 21 aftershocks were felt in earthquake-wrecked areas, Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Saturday, sparking panic among people and forcing some to spend the night outside their houses in cold weather.

The Meteorological Department said the epicentre of the tremors was about 100 kilometres north of Islamabad and 200 kilometres north east of Peshawar between Hazara and Muzaffarabad.

Saturday’s tremors measured between 4.3 and 5.3 on the Richter scale. The first, and also the most severe, aftershock of 5.3 magnitude, jolted Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and its surrounding areas, the AJK, and upper parts of the NWFP at about 2:34am.

The second aftershock of 4.6 magnitude was felt in Mansehra at about 5:46pm.

The Met office said the aftershocks of below five magnitude were felt only in those areas of the NWFP and Azad Kashmir which were badly hit by the earthquake on October 8, while those above were also felt in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar.

About 1,062 aftershocks have been felt in upper parts of the country since October 8.

The most severe so far, measuring 6.2, was also felt on October 8 at 4:46pm. About 54 aftershocks of 5 to 6 magnitude have been recorded since October 8, while the number of those from 4 to 5 during the period is 419. About 585 aftershocks of below 4 magnitude have so far been recorded.