The intensity of the earthquake was recorded as 5.5 on the Richter scale. Reuters

by Ali Akbar, Dawn

Peshawar: An earthquake jolted parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, creating a sense of fear and panic among the residents.

According to Meteorological Department, the intensity of the earthquake was recorded as 5.5 on the Richter scale and its epicentre was the border area of Tajikistan at a depth of 144 kilometres.

Earthquakes tremors were felt in Malakand, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir where residents evacuated homes and buildings out of fear.

There was no immediate report of any casualty or damages.

Pakistan and the region, along an active continental plate boundary, is often hit by earthquakes. In September 2013, a magnitude-7.7 quake struck Pakistan’s Balochistan province, killing at least 376 people.

In 2005, the country was hit by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless.