Northern Afghanistan has been shaken by a 6.2 earthquake

By Park Sae-jin Posted : January 2, 2016, 09:05 Updated : December 30, 2015, 17:48
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake has struck northern Afghanistan, with tremors felt as far away as India.

Dozens if people near the Pakistani city of Peshawar were taken to hospital after walls and buildings collapsed.

Officials said strong shocks were felt in the Afghan capital Kabul at 11:14 p.m. local time (1914 GMT) and in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, waking sleeping people and driving them out of their houses. Tremors were felt as far away as New Delhi.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake epicentre was in the northern province of Badakhshan, close to the Pakistani and Tajik borders.

A magnitude 6.2 quake is considered strong and can cause severe damage.

With harsh winter weather setting in, any widespread destruction of buildings and houses would create severe hardship.

A magnitude-7.5 quake hit northern Afghanistan and Pakistan on Oct. 26, destroying thousands of houses and killing more than 300 people.

Afghan authorities said they were readying their hospitals, but there were not yet any reports of casualties.

By Ruchi Singh
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