A 5.3-magnitude earthquake jolted Islamabad, Attock, and various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the tribal areas on Saturday morning, prompting brief panic but causing no reported casualties or damage, reports Geo TV.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the earthquake occurred at 10:08 AM PST. Its epicentre was traced to the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 230 kilometers. The recorded coordinates were latitude 36.63°N and longitude 71.13°E.
Tremors were felt in several cities, including Peshawar, Mardan, Swat, Nowshera, Swabi, Attock, and North Waziristan. Residents across these regions described feeling noticeable but short-lived shaking.
This event follows a series of seismic activities in the region over the past month. On April 12, a 5.5-magnitude quake struck northern Punjab, KP, and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region at a shallow depth of 12 kilometers. A few days later, on April 16, another 5.3-magnitude earthquake affected KP, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Punjab, and parts of Afghanistan.
Earthquakes are common in Pakistan, which lies along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This geologic positioning results in frequent seismic disturbances, particularly in northern areas of the country.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
