Magnitude 7.6 Earthquake Rocks Pakistan

A large earthquake shook Pakistan at 8:50 am local time. The epicenter has been calculated by the USGS as being 95 km (60 miles) north-northeast of Islamabad. The earthquake was felt across northern India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, with deaths and damage being reported. The event was a thrust-type earthquake on a southeastward trending fault plane. The fault lies along an ancient subduction zone in the Pir Panjal Mountains, where the Indian Plate is colliding with the Eurasian Plate at a rate of 5 cm per year. In addition to the USGS website, the ASC India website contains up-to-date information about the quake as well as historical and geological information about the region.