ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: Pakistan was jolted by strong tremors on Friday as a 5.8 magnitude earthquake rocked several areas in the country, with ripples being felt across wide swathes of the country, prompting residents in several cities to rush outdoors in fear.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the earthquake measured 5.8 on the Richter scale and struck at around 2:00 a.m. local time.
The quake originated at a depth of about 159 kilometres, with its epicentre located near the border region between Tajikistan and China’s Xinjiang province.
The quake particularly jolted several areas in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with tremors being felt across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Jhelum, Muridke, Peshawar, Swat, Abbottabad, Shangla, Buner, and Bajaur.
Additionally residents of POK and Gilgit-Baltistan also reported feeling buildings shake, and rattle, causing great unease among residents.
The social situation was reportedly tense, but stable, as the quake did not result in any kind of mass panic, many stepped out of their houses as a precaution, with no immediate reports of fatalities or major structural damage.
The United States Geological Survey said that Pakistan, Tajikistan, China, and Afghanistan were the most affected countries, feeling strong jolts.
The latest quake follows a series of seismic events that have rattled the region in recent months.
On October 21 last year, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Kashmir, with the epicentre located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 234 kilometres. That tremor came just days after a 5.6-magnitude quake was felt across similar areas.
Seismic activity has been frequent in Pakistan and Afghanistan due to their locations meeting up along the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide. The region also intersects with the Arabian plate, creating multiple fault lines beneath the country.
In September, a powerful magnitude-6 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 2,200 people and injuring thousands. Tremors from that quake were felt across northern Pakistan, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and as far south as Lahore.
Pakistan is one of the most earthquake prone regions in the world, and harbours a long and tragic history of devastating earthquakes, and many deaths and property damage.
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake killed around 73,000 people, while the 1935 Quetta earthquake claimed an estimated 30,000 lives. Furthermore, the country’s poor construction standards, rapid urbanisation, unplanned mass deforestation, lack of infrastructure, and absence of any planned disaster preparedness continue to heighten the risks posed by frequent seismic activity.
Authorities have not issued any emergency advisories following today’s quake, but disaster management officials urged the public to remain alert in case of aftershocks.
(UNI)
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