ISLAMABAD: A 5.5-magnitude earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan on Saturday, sending tremors across Islamabad, Peshawar and several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC).
The quake was also felt in Swat, Hangu, North Waziristan and Chitral, while residents of Rawalpindi reported noticeable shaking.
According to the seismological centre, the earthquake registered a magnitude of 5.5 and occurred at a depth of 199 kilometres. It further noted that the epicentre was located in the Koh Hindu Kush region.
No immediate reports of casualties or property damage were received. Pakistan remains vulnerable to earthquakes due to its position along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Over the years, the country has faced several destructive seismic events.Earlier this month, a similar incident saw a 6.1-magnitude earthquake strike Islamabad and parts of Punjab, KP, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with tremors also felt in Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad and Skardu.
At that time, the PMD reported that the quake had also originated in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, at a depth of 190 kilometres. In February this year, another earthquake measuring 5.8 rattled Islamabad, Swat and Hunza. Meanwhile, the devastating 2005 earthquake in Azad Kashmir claimed more than 73,000 lives and left millions homeless.
Balochistan also witnessed tragedy in 2021, when an earthquake in Harnai killed at least 20 people and disrupted rescue efforts due to landslides.
Experts caution that the mountainous and rugged terrain in Pakistan’s quake-prone regions makes rescue operations more difficult, underscoring the importance of preparedness and effective disaster management.