An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 on the Richter scale hit Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, but there were no reports of any loss of life or damage to property, officials said.

The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 9.45 am, was at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. Strong tremors were felt in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

The National Centre for Seismology tweeted the depth of the earthquake was 181 km, it said.

The officials said the quake hit at latitude 36.34 degrees north and longitude 71.05 degrees east at a depth of 181 km.

The tremors caused panic among people who rushed out of their homes.

However, there were no reports of any loss of life or damage to property, the officials said.

Modi speaks to J&K LG

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to enquire about the situation there following the earthquake.

Government sources said Modi called up Sinha to assess the situation in the union territory after the tremors.

The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 9.45 am, was at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. Strong tremors were felt across Jammu and Kashmir.