An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale hit Indian- controlled Kashmir and its adjoining areas Monday, forcing people to run out of their houses.

According to the Disaster Management officials in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, the earthquake occurred at 15:20 p.m. local time.

"I was working in the office and I suddenly felt my table shaking. I rushed outside to the premises of my house amid tremors," said Zaffar Kahn, a Srinagar resident.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in Hindukush mountains of Afghanistan, located at 36.529 degrees North Latitude and 71.040 degrees East Longitude, said Aamir Ali, Coordinator of the Disaster Management office in Srinagar.

"The earthquake was felt throughout Kashmir but so far we haven't received any reports of damage," Ali said.

Geologists say Indian-controlled Kashmir is located in a zone of high seismic activity.

Srinagar falls in Seismic Zone-V and other parts of Indian- controlled Kashmir in Seismic Zone IV.

A high intensity quake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale with its epicenter in Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir shook the region on Oct. 8, 2005 causing large scale destruction killing 80,000 people.

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