Strong earthquake hits Hindu Kush, shaking Afghanistan and Pakistan

June 27 (Reuters) – The European Mediterranean Seismology Center said a strong earthquake occurred in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region on Saturday and tremors could be felt from the capital Kabul across the border to neighboring Pakistan.

Daniyal Ahmad, who lives in Swat district in Pakistan’s northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told Reuters that people were running out of their doors in panic. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

“In Swat it was huge and lasted quite a long time,” he said.

“People came out of their homes, and women and children were seen crying in panic.”

Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement that there was no official report of any loss of life or damage, but checks were continuing.

The EMSC said the magnitude 6 earthquake was at a depth of 100 km (62 miles).

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan early on Saturday, according to the EMSC.

(Reporting by Sayed ‌Hassib in Kabul, Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Heavens)