A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on Saturday, shaking Islamabad, Peshawar, and several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
The tremors were also felt in Swat, Hangu, North Waziristan, and Chitral, while residents of Rawalpindi also reported experiencing the quake.
The seismological centre reported that the earthquake measured 5.5 in magnitude and struck at a depth of 199 kilometres. It added that the epicentre was located in the Koh Hindu Kush region, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Pakistan lies along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The country has experienced several devastating quakes in recent decades.
In a similar incident earlier this month, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook Islamabad, parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Tremors were also felt in cities including Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad, and Skardu. The Pakistan Meteorological Department had said that quake originated in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 190 kilometres.
In February, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake rattled Islamabad, Swat, and Hunza, while the 2005 Kashmir earthquake killed more than 73,000 people and left millions homeless.
In 2021, Balochistan’s Harnai region was also hit by a deadly quake that killed at least 20 people and disrupted rescue operations due to landslides.
Experts continue to warn that Pakistan’s rugged, earthquake-prone terrain makes relief efforts difficult and highlights the urgent need for preparedness.
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