- Earthquake originating from a depth of 174 km: NSMC.
- Tremors felt in Peshawar, Swat and Shangla of KP.
- Buner, Lower Dir in KP is also experiencing the tremors.
An earthquake measuring 5.3 shook Islamabad, Lahore and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with tremors felt in several cities.
The National Earthquake Monitoring Center (NSMC) said the 5.3 magnitude earthquake occurred at a depth of 174 kilometers, with its epicenter located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region.
The earthquake caused tremors in Peshawar, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Lower Dir and neighboring areas of KP, with Lahore also experiencing the tremors.
Separately, the United States Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Jurm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 216.7 kilometers.
Last week, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Islamabad and parts of Punjab and KP, with tremors reported in several cities, including Rawalpindi, Lahore and Peshawar.
The NSMC said on June 27 that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 178 kilometers, with its epicenter located in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.
Strong tremors were reported from Shangla, Buner, Swat and surrounding localities in KP, and Mianwali, Chakwal, Jhang and neighboring localities.
Tremors were also felt in Athmuqam, the district headquarters of Neelum Valley, and Muzaffarabad in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Pakistan’s vulnerability to earthquakes stems from its geographic location, on the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The country has experienced several devastating earthquakes in recent decades.
In February this year, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook Islamabad, Swat and Hunza, while the 2005 earthquake in Azad Kashmir killed more than 73,000 people and left millions homeless.
Balochistan also suffered in 2021, when an earthquake in Harnai killed at least 20 people and hampered rescue operations due to landslides.
Experts warn that the rugged terrain of Pakistan’s earthquake-prone areas complicates relief efforts and makes preparedness critical.
