5.5 magnitude earthquake jolts Pakistan province

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted parts of a province in Pakistan on Tuesday, media reported.

According to the meteorological department, the epicentre of the earthquake in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was the area of Tajikistan-Pakistan border and its depth was 144 km, Dawn online reported.

The tremors were felt in Malakand, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir areas where residents fled from their homes out of fear.

There was no immediate report of any casualty or damages.

Pakistan and the region along an active continental plate boundary is often hit by earthquakes. In September 2013, a 7.7 magnitude quake struck Pakistan's Balochistan province, killing at least 376 people.

In 2005, the country was hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless.