The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has reported that a magnitude 5.4 earthquake has struck Pakistan in the vicinity of Batgram district in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (former North-West Frontier Province, NWFP).

The earthquake hit at 22:00 local time and strong tremors were felt in the capital Islamabad, 62 miles to the south of the epicentre. There have been no reports of casualties or widespread damage as yet, however, it may take some time for information to reach authorities.

Direct Relief is reaching out to local partners in Pakistan as we try to ascertain if a major humanitarian incident has occurred. Direct Relief’s emergency response team will continue to monitor the situation as it becomes clearer in the next 24 hours. At this stage, the potential humanitarian impact of this earthquake has been rated as medium.

In 2005, northern Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India were hit by a deadly earthquake that claimed the lives of some 100,000 people and left another 130,000 injured.

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