5.9 magnitude earthquake shakes Pakistan and Afghanistan, no damage reported

PESHAWAR (AP)

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck parts of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan on Saturday, sending panicked residents across Pakistan rushing out of their homes, authorities said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The epicenter was in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

It was felt in Islamabad, as well as in the eastern province of Punjab and the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan.

Emergency services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said district administrations were placed on alert. Anwar Shahzad, a spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said that initial assessments had found no reports of casualties or damage.

Pakistan lies along an active seismic zone and is frequently affected by earthquakes.