KABUL (Reuters) - An earthquake measuring 5.6 struck Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region on Saturday and officials said they expected casualties.
The quake, centred 275 km (170 miles) northeast of Kabul,was also felt across parts of northern Pakistan and India,including the respective capitals Islamabad and New Delhi,reporters said.
"The quake was very strong and lasted for 10 seconds. Weare expecting casualties because the earthquake was very strongbut at the moment we don't have any reports," Munshi AbdulMajid, the governor of the northern Afghan province ofBadakhshan, where the epicentre was located, told Reuters.
The U.S. Geological Survey said on its website the quake'smagnitude was 5.6 and the epicentre was at a depth of 177 km(110 miles) and 65 km (40 miles) south of the city of Faizabad.
"All my colleagues ran out of office," a Reuters reporterin northeastern Kunar province said.
About 73,000 people were killed in northern Pakistan by apowerful earthquake in October 2005.
(Reporting by Tahir Qadiry; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani;Editing by David Fogarty)
