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Big earthquake hits Indian, Pakistani and Afghan capitals

NEW DELHI / ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A major earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.6 struck Pakistan on Saturday and was felt across the Indian subcontinent, shaking people out of their homes and sending them running into the streets.

The quake was felt in the Indian, Pakistani and Afghan capitals, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) highlighted a large earthquake on its Website between Indian- and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir with a magnitude of 7.6.

It described the quake as "major", saying it took place at 0350 GMT at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles). It was centred 95 km (60 miles) northeast of Islamabad and 125 km (75 miles) northwest of Srinagar.

Japanese quake experts put the magnitude at 7.8. Tokyo measures earthquakes according to a technique similar to the Richter scale but adjusted for Japan's geological characteristics. "We can say that it was one of the strongest earthquakes (ever) felt in Islamabad," said Mohammad Hanif, an official at the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Screaming people rushed out of apartment buildings in the Indian capital, New Delhi, as the tremors began, a Reuters reporter said.

Indian government officials and the meteorological office said earlier that the quake measured 6.8, and was centred west of Muzaffarabad in Pakistani Kashmir.

Reuters reporters in the Pakistan capital Islamabad and the Afghan capital Kabul also felt the tremors.

Indian officials said the quake was felt throughout northern and central India. "People are still gathered outside their homes and buildings," a resident of Delhi told Reuters. "They are a bit scared to go back into their homes at the moment.

The area where the quake took place is known for its frequent seismic activity and experts have long predicted an imminent major earthquake in the Himalayan region.

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