Tremors felt in northwest India and New Delhi as quake hits Pakisan - Xinhua

NEW DELHI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- As a powerful earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan in the small hours Wednesday, tremors were felt in parts of northwestern India, including the national capital, reported the Press Trust of India.

People in New Delhi rushed outside their homes in the wee hours of the chilly night as tremors were felt, said the report.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the epicenter of the earthquake was located in southwestern Pakistan in the desert area bordering Iran and Afghanistan.

"It was a shallow earthquake which struck at a depth of 7.4 km, " the report quoted an IMD official as saying.

The epicenter of the quake was located at 28.9 degrees north on the latitude and 64 degrees east on the longitude, the IMD said.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) revised down the quake from 7. 4 magnitude to 7.2 magnitude, and said the quake hit at a depth of 84 km.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological department, earthquake of severe 7.3 magnitude were felt in various parts of country after midnight.

Pakistani local media quoted meteorological officials as saying that the epicenter was located in the Kharan area of Balochistan province. Meteorological officials warned that there might be aftershocks following the earthquake.

The earthquake that took place at about 1:20 a.m. (local time) jolted most major cities in the southwestern and southern parts of Pakistan, including Quetta, Karachi and Multan. Strong tremors were also felt in the country's eastern city of Lahore.

Pakistan's Chief Meteorologist Muhammed Riaz told media that the tremor continued its shake for over one second. However, its span could vary from area to area depending on their proximity to epicenter.