A Strong earthquake shook Indian-controlled Kashmir and its adjoining areas early Saturday morning, 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 measuring 6.5 on the Richter Scale occurred at 00:51 a.m. local time.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in Hindu Kush mountain range of Afghanistan, located at 36.5 degrees North Latitude and 70.8 degrees East Longitude, said Aamir Ali, Coordinator Disaster Management office in Srinagar.

"Reports of damages are being collected" 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.

Another 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 and killing 80,000 people.