Islamabad: Strong tremors were felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and several other regions shortly after midnight on Saturday, as a 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck at 12:10 am. This was the second quake to hit the region in two days, causing residents to evacuate their homes.
Epicenter Details: The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department stated that the earthquake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, with its epicenter located 15 kilometers southeast of Rawat. The shocks were also felt in Attock, Swabi, Zafarwal, and northern areas including Swat, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan, Murree, as well as in Jhelum and towns across Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Previous Quakes: A day earlier, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake had rattled northern Pakistan, originating in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 114 kilometers. This year has seen a series of earthquakes, including a 4.7-magnitude quake in Peshawar in June and a 5.3-magnitude quake in May that affected Islamabad and several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Seismic Activity Explained: Pakistan is situated on a major fault line between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making the country’s northern regions particularly prone to earthquakes. This year, Karachi has also experienced unusual seismic activity, with experts linking over 30 mild tremors in recent days to movements along the long-dormant Landhi Fault Line.
