An earthquake with an intensity of 5.8 on the Richter Scale jolted Islamabad, Lahore and other parts of the country on Tuesday evening.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers with its epicenter lying 1km southeast of Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
So far at least 19 people died and more than 300 others are injured.
According to details, tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Jhelum, Charsadda, Swat, Khyber, Abbottabad, Bajaur, Nowshera, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar and Kohistan.
According to Deputy Commissioner AJK Raja Qaiser said that emergency was imposed in hospitals to tackle the situation.
He further said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) were engaged in rescue operations and gathering data on the damage done.
According to DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj General Asif Ghafoor, Chief of Army Staff General (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa has directed army troops to fully participate in rescue activities due to the earthquake in AJK and other affected areas.
The Army Chief directed army personnel to completely cooperate with the civil administration of AJK, according to DG ISPR.
According to NDMA notification released in wake of the calamity, aftershocks can be expected within the next 24 hours in the earthquake-hit areas.
The NDMA statement said that all the protective measures should be taken to lessen the impact.
It further urged the public to share any losses or damage to the authority.
The turbines at the Mangla Dam powerhouse were being restarted, sources at the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) said Tuesday after they were shut down earlier due to an earthquake-related safety scare.
The Mangla Dam and its powerhouse were safe, the sources said, adding that the turbines at the reservoir's powerhouse had been shut down as part of the precautions following an earthquake in Pakistan's northern areas and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Due to the intensity of the earthquake, roads in Mirpur were cracked open. The earthquake sent people of affected areas scurrying into the streets.
The earthquake damaged houses and buildings in Mirpur, while several cars fell into the deep cracks on the roads.
