Earthquake shakes Pakistan, Afghanistan and India

Oren Dorell | USA TODAY

A strong earthquake rattled cities from Afghanistan to India late Friday, injuring dozens as they slept and forcing residents out of their homes.

More than 30 people were injured as houses or walls collapsed in the northwestern Pakistan city of Peshawar, emergency rescue service spokesman Bilal Ahmed Faizi told the Associated Press.

The magnitude-6.3 quake was centered near Feyzabad in Afghanistan and struck at 7:15 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Twitter users in the Afghan capital, Kabul, reported feeling the tremors. Pakistani official Ghulam Rasool told the AP that the quake was magnitude- 6.9 and was centered in Tajikistan near the Afghan border, lasting for 59 seconds.

The quake was also felt in the Kashmir region. In Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, some residents remained outside their homes despite the chilly winter weather, fearful of aftershocks.

Sahiba Khan, 18, a student, said she was reading when the earthquake jolted her home. She said her family ran outside while reciting verses from the Quran.

Tremors were also felt in India's Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jaipur, Delhi and the National Capital regions, according to New Delhi Television.

The Delhi police said on Twitter that there had not yet been any reports of damage or casualties, NDTV reported.