5.1-magnitude quake rocks Pakistan's Islamabad: USGS

ISLAMABAD - A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck just outside Islamabad early on Saturday morning, United States seismologists said.

Residents of the Pakistani capital reported buildings and vehicles shaking after the quake hit at 1:59 am local time (2059 GMT).

The earthquake was at a relatively shallow depth of 26 kilometres, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The epicentre of the quake was 15 kilometres (nine miles) to the northeast of Islamabad, USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of major damage.

Pakistan straddles part of the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes.

It was hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake on October 8, 2005 that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake devastated several areas in southwestern Baluchistan province in September 2013, killing at least 370 people and leaving 100,000 homeless.