1 killed after 6.1-magnitude earthquake shakes parts of Pakistan

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.1 shook parts of Pakistan early Wednesday, killing one person in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a media report.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the epicenter of the quake was 44km southwest of Khost in Afghanistan at a depth of 50.8km. The quake struck at 1:54 am (local time).

The tremors were felt in Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and other parts of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

A man was reported to have died after the roof of his house collapsed following the tremors in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

According to police, the man - a member of the local football team - was asleep inside his house in Lakki Marwat at the time the roof collapsed, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The tremors spread fear and panic as people rushed out into open spaces.

Pakistan lies in an active seismic zone and is often visited by quakes of various magnitude. This is the second earthquake in a week after a 5.2 magnitude quake shook parts of the country on June 17.

A deadly earthquake hit the country in 2005 which killed more than 74,000 people.