11 killed in Afghanistan-Pakistan quake, tremors in north India

• Dozens of others were injured in the quake, which was centered in Afghanistan and also felt in bordering Tajikistan
• The earthquake triggered landslides in some of the mountainous areas, disrupting traffic
• The U.S. Geological Survey said the centre of the magnitude 6.5 quake was located 40 kilometers (25 miles) south-southeast of Jurm in Afghanistan's Hindukush region

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck large parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday, driving panicked residents from their homes and offices and scaring people even in remote villages. At least eleven people died.

More than 100 people were taken to hospitals in a state of shock in the Swat Valley region of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for Pakistan's emergency services, told to reports. "These frightened people collapsed and some of them collapsed due to the shock of the earthquake," he said. Faizi said most were later discharged from hospital.

Faizi and other officials said eleven people were killed in roof collapses in various parts of northwestern Pakistan. Dozens more were injured in the quake, which was centered in Afghanistan and also felt in neighboring Tajikistan. The earthquake triggered landslides in some mountainous areas that disrupted traffic. Taimoor Khan, spokesman for the northwestern provincial disaster management office, said at least 19 burnt-brick houses collapsed in remote areas. "We are still gathering data on the damage," he said.

Strong tremors sent many people fleeing their homes and offices in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, some reciting verses from the Koran, Islam's holy book. Media reports indicated that cracks had appeared in some apartment buildings in the city. The scene was repeated in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan.

The US Geological Survey said the 6.5-magnitude quake was centered 40 kilometers (25 miles) south-southeast of Jurm in Afghanistan's mountainous Hindukush region, which borders Pakistan and Tajikistan. It said the depth of the earthquake was 187.6 kilometers (116 mi).

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said in a statement that he has asked disaster management officials to remain vigilant in dealing with any situation. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, said on Twitter that the Ministry of Public Health had ordered all health centers to be on alert. The area is prone to violent seismic tremors. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in 2005 killed thousands in Pakistan and Kashmir.

Last year, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the rugged mountainous region in southeastern Afghanistan, flattening stone and adobe houses. Afghan Taliban rulers put the total death toll from the earthquake at 1,150, with hundreds more injured, while the UN offered a lower estimate of 770.