Punjab, Pakistan: A Punjab earthquake of 4.8 magnitude struck several cities and Islamabad on Tuesday, killing a 13-year-old boy in Jhelum district, officials said.
Rescue officials said the child died after a house collapsed in the Jalalpur Sharif area of Jhelum. Authorities also reported damage to several houses in Pind Dadan Khan and nearby areas.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre said the earthquake was recorded at 7:06 pm. It measured 4.8 on the Richter scale and occurred at a depth of 12 kilometres.
The centre located the epicentre 58 kilometres southwest of Jhelum, at 32.59°N, 73.23°E. Tremors were felt in Islamabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Okara, Sheikhupura, Mandi Bahauddin and surrounding areas.
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Residents rushed out of homes and buildings after the tremors. Officials did not immediately report wider casualties beyond Jhelum.
Pakistan lies along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making several regions vulnerable to earthquakes. The country has faced major quakes in recent decades, including the 2005 Azad Kashmir earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people.
