Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits off Pakistan coast - USGS

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits off Pakistan coast - USGS

REUTERS

(Reuters) - A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan in the early hours of Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no early signs of casualties or damage.

The epicentre of the tremor was around 90 km (55 miles) south of the town of Turbat, just off the coast at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) below the seabed, said the USGS, which initially estimated the magnitude at 6.6.

There were no immediate reports of damage or fatalities from the quake, which was centred between the Chinese-operated port of Gwadar and the city of Pasni, in Baluchistan province.

Pasni has a population of around 400,000 people.

Pakistan is in a seismically active area, with quakes often felt across the region. Two quakes days apart in Baluchistan in 2013 killed more than 1,200 people.

(Reporting by Lincoln Feast in Sydney; Editing by Sandra Maler and Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-08