An earthquake jolted northern parts of Pakistan on Thursday leading to people evacuating buildings for safety.

The tremors which were felt at 2:20pm in Pakistan shook Islamabad, Peshawar, Kohat, Dir Bala, DI Khan, Diamar, Swat, Parachinar, Jhang, Khoshab, Bhakkar and other cities in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan regions.

Pakistan’s Met Office said that the earthquake registered a reading of 6 on the Richter scale. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Hindu Kush mountains at a depth of 213 kilometres.

US Geological Survey said it was a stronger earthquake with a magnitude recorded at 6.4.

The epicentre was 44km Southwest of Afghanistan’s Jurm, it said.

The earthquake was also felt in India and Afghanistan.

Social media footage showed people gathered in the open after rushing out of office buildings in Islamabad.

This story is being updated.