ISLAMABAD, Oct. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- A strong earthquake measuring 7.6on the Richter scale rocked major Pakistani cities of Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi and other parts of the country on Saturday morning, according to local TV reports.

    The earthquake measured 7.6 on the open ended Richter scale andits epicenter lay 100 kilometers north of Islamabad.

    The quake shook buildings of Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, for about one minute at around 8:55 a.m. The water tank on the top of the office building of the Xinhua branch spilled out on the roof.

    According to a Xinhua reporter on the spot, residents in Islamabad ran out of houses to stay in the open air.

    Many houses collapsed in the northern Pakistani districts of Kohistan and Batgram and an unknown number of people injured were rushed to hospital, the reports said.

    At least eight people were injured in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.

    According to unconfirmed reports, 25 people were killed in AzadKashmir.

    Large-scale collapse of mud houses was reported in Rawla Kot area of Azad Kashmir, while a village entirely wiped out in Bagh in a major earthquake.

    Several school, college and residential buildings also caved inin various towns of the territory.

    Meanwhile, Gilgit-Chitral highway was closed after land-slidings triggered by tremors. Several houses were razed in Kohistan and Buttgram districts. People injured in quake incidentsbeing transferred to hospitals for medical aid.

    According to reports a mosque minaret and wall collapsed in Mirpur. A schools building in Texila also collapsed.

    Six girls sustained injuries when a school wall collapsed in Rawalpindi after quake.

    Director General, Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR) and Military spokesman, Major General Shaukat Sultan has said that Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir and other cities of the country have been severely hit by the earthquake this morning, while in some outskirt areas of Azad Kashmir several villages have totally disappeared.

    He said that Pakistan Army has already started the relief work in affected areas and its scores of teams along with helicopters were in operation.

    Besides, he said one 19-story building in Islamabad has been partially damaged by the earthquake and the people trapped there in were being rescued. Enditem