Quake hits Pakistan, Afghanistan

A strong earthquake rocked parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Saturday, and panicked people ran out of homes and offices in many cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

In Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, buildings shook and walls swayed for about a minute shortly before 9 a.m. local time. Slight tremors continued afterward.

Arif Mahmood, a seismological official in the northwestern city of Peshawar, said the earthquake was felt in many parts of Pakistan.

"It was a very strong earthquake," he said, adding that officials would announce the quake's magnitude later.

Mohammed Hanif, another seismological official, said the quake appeared to have been strongest in Islamabad.

Local television said the quake caused panic in Islamabad, as well as nearby Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta near the Afghan border.

Residents in the Afghan capital, Kabul, also felt the temblor, AP reported.