RAWALPINDI: A strong, 5.2 magnitude earthquake jolted the northern parts of the country, including the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department said in a statement that the epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Hindukash region of Afghanistan. The depth of the earthquake was 190km.

It said the temblor was strongly felt in most parts of KP, Punjab and Islamabad at 10:20am.

The shake map of the event shows that the earthquake was of moderate intensity.

Slight damages are expected near the epicentre and aftershocks would be expected.

Soon after the earthquake, panic-stricken people, especially the occupants of high-rise buildings, stepped out while reciting the Kalma Tayyaba.

Earlier in the day, a light earthquake was recorded but it was not felt in many parts of the country as it was not strong enough.