A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck at 12:10 AM on Saturday, shaking Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several other areas. The quake occurred just a day after a 5.4-magnitude tremor hit the region.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department's National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) in Islamabad, the earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. The epicentre was located 15 kilometres southeast of Rawat.
Tremors were felt in various regions, including:
- Attock
- Swabi
- Zafarwal
- Swat
- Shangla
- Buner
- Malakand
- Murree
- Mansehra
- Battagram
- Kohistan
- Jhelum
- Parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)
The tremors prompted residents to rush out of their homes, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Previous Day’s Quake
One day earlier, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake had rattled northern Pakistan. That quake, which struck at 2:03 AM, originated in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 114 kilometres.
Areas affected included:
- Islamabad
- Rawalpindi
- Azad Kashmir
- Charsadda
- Karak
- Gujranwala and surrounding areas
Earlier Earthquakes
On June 11, a 4.7-magnitude quake hit Peshawar. A month prior, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake had shaken Islamabad and multiple districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including:
- Mardan
- Swat
- Nowshera
- Swabi
- North Waziristan
Both of these quakes had deep epicentres in the Hindu Kush mountains.
In April, two more tremors were recorded:
- April 12: 5.5-magnitude earthquake
- April 16: 5.3-magnitude earthquake
Tremors from these quakes were also felt in Punjab, KP, Azad Kashmir, and the federal capital.
Seismic Risk in Pakistan
Pakistan sits on a major fault line between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making earthquakes a frequent occurrence, especially in the northern regions.
Meanwhile, Karachi has experienced unusual seismic activity this year, with over 30 mild tremors reported within a few days. Experts attribute this to movement along the long-dormant Landhi Fault Line.
