NEW DELHI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 Wednesday hit India's northern states and Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.
According to Indian Meteorological Department, the earthquake occurred at 12:36 p.m. local time.
"The epicentre of earthquake was Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region located at 37.4 degrees north latitude and 69.6 degrees east longitude," the information released by Indian Meteorological Department said. "The depth of the earthquake was 190 km."
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.1, with the epicenter at 36.5432 degrees north latitude and 70.8155 degrees east longitude at a depth of 191.19 km.
The earthquake was felt in many northern Indian states including National capital New Delhi, Rajasthan and Punjab.
The tremors shook the entire Indian-controlled Kashmir. Panic-stricken people in Srinagar and Jammu cities rushed out of houses and buildings to gather in open streets.
"I came out of the house after I realised everything is trembling," Afzal Ahmad, a local resident in Srinagar told Xinhua.
So far there were no reports of any damage or loss of lives in the earthquake.
Geologists say Indian-controlled Kashmir is located in a zone of high seismic activity.
Srinagar, the capital city of Indian-controlled Kashmir, falls in Seismic Zone-V and other parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir in Seismic Zone IV.
A high intensity quake with a magnitude of 7.4 with its epicentre in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir shook the region on October 8, 2005, causing large scale destruction and killing 80,000 people.
