Earthquake tremors were felt in many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and Japan on Sunday.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said an earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred 70 km southeast of Fayzabad, Afghanistan, at around 10.19 am.
The epicentre of the quake was the border region of Afghanistan and Tajikistan and it originated at a depth of 223 km, which considerably reduced its devastating impact, according to the National Seismic Monitoring in Islamabad.
Tremors were also felt in Srinagar and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. The quake was reported at 11:19am at ” Lat: 36.56 & Long: 71.13, Depth: 220 Km” in Afghanistan. the National Center for Seismology said.
The shocks were also reported in Islamabad, Peshawar, Swat, Haripur, Malakand, Abbottabad, Batgram, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Texlia, Pind Dadan Khan and several other parts of the country.
No loss of life or property has been reported so far. Pakistan often witnesses earthquakes of varying magnitudes.
The deadliest quake to hit Pakistan in 2005 killed more than 74,000 people.
On Friday, a strong earthquake shook Tokyo and other areas of eastern Japan, but no tsunami warning was issued. The magnitude 6.1 quake was centered off the east coast of Chiba Peninsula at a depth of 44.5 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.
Strong shaking was reported in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures, but the USGS said there was little chance of serious damage or fatalities.
The earthquakes in Pakistan and Japan come as a reminder of the ever-present threat of natural disasters. It is important to be prepared for earthquakes and other natural disasters by having an emergency plan in place and knowing what to do in the event of an emergency.