5.3 magnitude earthquake strikes Pakistan

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale shook northern Pakistan today, just days after the country observed the anniversary of a temblor that killed over 73,000 people in October 2005.

The quake, which occurred at 2.45 am local time, had its epicentre about 30 km north of Islamabad, officials said.

It was shallow at a depth of just 10 km, causing strong shaking.

Residents of the federal capital rushed out of their homes after they were jolted by tremors that lasted a few seconds.

There were no immediate reports of serious damage or deaths.

Tremors were felt in several other cities, including Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad, Rawlakot, Taxila and Abbottabad.

The quake came just days after the fifth anniversary of a 7.6-magnitude temblor that struck on October 8, 2005 and killed more than 73,000 people, mainly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.