Saturday, October 8 2005 12:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: A strong earthquake rocked parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan today (Oct 8, 2005), and panicked people ran out of homes and offices in many cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

In Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, buildings shook and walls swayed for about a minute shortly before 9 a.m. local time (0930 IST). Slight tremors continued afterward.

Arif Mahmood, a seismological official in the northwestern city of Peshawar, said the earthquake was felt in many parts of Pakistan.

"It was a very strong earthquake," he said, adding that officials would announce the quake's magnitude later.

Mohammed Hanif, another seismological official, said the quake appeared to have been strongest in Islamabad.

Local television said the quake caused panic in Islamabad, as well as nearby Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta near the Afghan border.

Residents in the Afghan capital, Kabul, also felt the tremor

The Hong Kong Observatory said preliminary analysis showed the epicenter of was just inside northern Pakistan close to the border with India.

The US Geological Survey said, "The epicenter was 100 kilometers northeast of the Pakistani capital Islamabad."

The temblor was felt across northern and eastern Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan.

Witnesses reported panicked people fleeing into the streets of the Pakistani capital Islamabad and the eastern city of Lahore.

"It was so severe in Lahore that we rushed out of our homes and we are still outside," said Sohail Ahmed, a local resident contacted by telephone.

Witnesses in Islamabad said the ground shook for over 30 seconds, rocking buildings and causing widespread panic. A second less severe jolt lasted about five seconds.

Many mosques in Islamabad started reciting special prayers straight afterwards.

The quake was felt as far away as the western Pakistani city of Quetta, some 700 kilometers southwest of Islamabad, and in the Afghan capital Kabul some 380 kilometers west of the Pakistani capital.

Witnesses said many phone lines in Pakistan went down and it was not possible to get any government details of damage or casualties.