A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Pakistan, primarily affecting the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) region, on Thursday morning. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported that the earthquake occurred at 5:56 am UTC (10:56 am Pakistan time), with its epicenter in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 215 kilometers.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) located the epicenter 28 km west-southwest of Afghanistan’s Ishkashim town. Tremors were felt across various cities in KP, including Mardan, Malakand, Hangu, Buner, Shangla, Dir, and Charsadda, as well as in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, according to Dawn News.
No casualties or damage have been reported so far. In KP’s Shangla district, Rescue 1122 staff were placed on high alert, although no emergency calls were received. In Punjab, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed that tremors were felt in cities such as Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, Sargodha, and Islamabad, with no immediate reports of loss of life or property.
“The entire Punjab administration is actively inspecting buildings, with staff and machinery on alert for potential aftershocks,” stated the PDMA director-general.
