Residents of the port city of Karachi have been experiencing an unusual series of mild earthquakes for several days, with Chief Meteorologist Amir Haider Laghari stating that the number of tremors has reached 32 since June 1. Providing details about these quakes, Laghari noted that all were of minor intensity, ranging from a minimum of 1.5 to a maximum of 3.6 on the Richter Scale.
The latest tremor was recorded at 8:32 AM on Friday (today) with a magnitude of 1.5, the official confirmed. He highlighted that the depth of these recent earthquake tremors in the metropolis has varied significantly, from 2 kilometers to 188 kilometers. Earthquakes are being reported from various parts of the city, including Quaidabad, Gadap, Malir, DHA, and Korangi areas. His remarks follow the country’s financial capital experiencing two more earthquake tremors early this morning.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the first tremor had a magnitude of 2.7 with a depth of 2km, and its epicenter was approximately 20km south of the Defence area. Meanwhile, the second quake occurred at a depth of 8km, with its epicenter located about 7km northwest of Malir.
Explaining the reasons behind such continuous tremors, Laghari had previously informed Geo News that the Landhi Fault Line has become active after several decades and is currently undergoing a normalization phase. He indicated that mild quakes might persist for up to a week due to the gradual release of energy, which helps prevent a major earthquake. The shallow depth of the recent quakes makes them more noticeable to residents.
The official advised that buildings situated on fault lines should be constructed to withstand tremors up to magnitude 6.0. He also noted that the cracks reported in some houses are likely attributable to existing structural issues. Furthermore, another nearby fault line near Thana Bula Khan is also contributing to the observed seismic activity.
