A 5.4-magnitude earthquake shook many areas of Pakistan early on Saturday morning, causing fear among residents. People in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad felt the tremors, according to News.
The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) said the earthquake struck at 2:04 AM PST. It happened at a depth of 102 kilometers, with the epicenter located in the Hindukush mountains of Afghanistan. The tremors were also felt in parts of Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
In Pakistan, the earthquake was felt in many areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, Swat, Malakand, Nowshera, Charsadda, Karak, Dir, Mardan, Mohmand, Shangla, Hangu, Swabi, Haripur, and Abbottabad.
Tremors were also reported in several cities in Punjab like Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Taxila, Murree, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Ferozwala, and Muridke.
Thankfully, no loss of life or property was reported. However, the tremors caused panic, and many people rushed out of their homes in fear. Some were seen reciting verses from the Holy Quran.
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Pakistan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world because it lies where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. This makes the region highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
Areas at high risk include Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan, as they are close to major fault lines like the Main Central Thrust. Punjab is also at risk due to its location on the Indian plate, while Sindh, though less prone, is not completely safe either.
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One of the strongest earthquakes in Pakistan’s history was in Balochistan in 1945, which had a magnitude of 8.1.
