4.4 magnitude quake hits Lahore, nearby areas

LAHORE: Fear gripped the people after a 4.4 magnitude earthquake jolted the provincial capital and its surrounding cities on Sunday, forcing majority of citizens to run for safer places.

The Met Office said the quake was felt in Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Sheikhupura and other cities in Pakistan as well as northern parts of India, especially Amritsar. They said the quake was measured 4.4 on the Richter scale with a focal depth of 10 kilometres.

Soon after the quake, a large number of citizens were seen standing outside their homes, shopping malls and other buildings reciting verses of the Holy Quran. Although majority of offices were closed due to Sunday, majority of multi-storey buildings, big shopping malls and other buildings were vacated.

DCO Lahore said all the emergency services and hospitals in Lahore were on high alert but no major untoward incident had taken place in the city. He warned the citizens to remain vigilant as aftershocks were expected.

Khalid, a resident of Krishan Nagar said he was present in his upper storey residence when he felt the floor shaking. He said he took his children and come out on the road where most of other area residents were also present. “I was in a big grocery store opened recently near Expo Centre when the earthquake hit the city,” said Ahsan Shah, a resident of Johar Town. He said he felt that the building had shivered thrice after which majority of the people started running outside.

Mrs Mujahid, a resident of Samanabad, said she was serving tea to her family when the earthquake struck. She said all paintings and other wall hangings started shaking and some fell on the floor.She said she and all her family rushed outside and all her neighbours too were out of their homes and reciting Quranic verses.